BUDGET FRAUD IS CRIMINAL - BUHARI’S LEGISLATORS MUST BE CHARGED TO COURT!

ZION B-BC   NEWSLETTER.   

(Looking at Nigeria and the World's Political System From a Godly Perspective).

A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church Kpeyegyi Abuja Nigeria {Vol. 11.NO 439. 9th January, 2022.} “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You Free! (John.8:32).  PRAY & FAST EVERY WEDNESDAY TO STOP BLOODSHED IN NIGERIA!

BUDGET FRAUD IS CRIMINAL - BUHARI’S LEGISLATORS MUST BE CHARGED TO COURT!

In spite of the fact that Debt-servicing has taken a large chunk of the 2022 Budget Appropriation and that the Concurrent swallowed up Capital estimates,  covetous legislators still smuggled into the  debt-ridden document, a sum of NGN735.8 billion to “execute dubious and illegitimate CONSTITUENCY PROJECTS!”

According to media reports, the latest whooping NGN17.13 trillion Bill signed into law on 31st December, 2021, by the President was the sixth to be so inflated under President Buhari’s watch! The President had submitted a proposed fiscal budget of NGN16.391 trillion to the National Assembly on Thursday 7th October, 2021!

The visibly shocked President Buhari lamented that the lawmakers “reduced the amount allocated to some projects but added over 6,500 projects of their own to the 2022 budget”!

In the past six years consecutive budgets have been criminally inflated by the National Assembly Legislators as follows: (1) 2017: NGN143 billion; (2) 2018: NGN500 billion; (3) 2019: NGN86 billion; (4) 2020: NGN260 billion; (5) 2021: NGN505 billion; and (6) 2022: NGN735.8billion; all of which were surreptitiously inserted without consultation with the Executive until the very day of presidential signature when it would be impossible for the him to refuse or withhold assent!

OVERSIGHT OR OVER-STEALING?

Nigerian legislators have always hid behind some stipulated sections of the 1999 Constitution which they misinterpret as permitting them to butcher, remove, insert, pad, re-invent, re-create, re-arrange or and generate fresh projects of their own to rubbish the original annual painstakingly, meticulously prepared Executive document which they were privy to and involved in its initial preparation!     

***“IN Section 4 (1) - (9) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, legislators are empowered (in a nutshell), (a) to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation or any part thereof with respect to any matter included in the Exclusive Legislative List set out in Part I of the Second Schedule to the Constitution, to the exclusion of the State Houses of Assembly; and (b) matters in the Concurrent Legislative List and any other matter with respect to which it is empowered to make laws in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Federal Constitution.“They are also backed by law to carry out legislative oversight functions on both the Private and Public Institutions, especially the Ministries Departments and Agencies, (MDAs), for the purposes of CHECKS AND BALANCES, to ensure probity, equity in appropriation and execution in budgetary transactions of government at the Federal platforms.

“AND under Sections 88 (1) (2)-89 (1) (2), legislators have powers to conduct investigations into any matter or thing with respect  to which it has power to make laws; and the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, Ministry or government charged, or intended to be charged with the duty of or responsibility for executing or administering laws enacted by NASS and disbursing or administering moneys appropriated or to be appropriated by NASS; EXPOSE CORRUPTION, INEFFICIENCY OR WASTE IN THE EXECUTION OR ADMINISTRATION OF LAWS WITHIN ITS LEGISLATIVE COMPETENCE AND IN THE DISBURSEMENT OR ADMINISTRATION OF FUNDS APPROVED BY IT ........ETC!

In all of the above, the Constitution did not expressly permit legislators to butcher budgets to suit their illicit and licentious lifestyle; AND NEITHER DID IT MAKE PROVISION FOR THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (NASS) TO BE MONITORED AND OVER-SIGHTED OR CHECKMATED BY OTHER ARMS OF GOVERNMENT!

As a result of this LACUNA, they have become busy-bodies and meddlesome interlopers and have struggled very unsuccessfully, to take over Presidential functions and power from the EXECUTIVE at every opportunity, through spurious interpretation of their oversight functions, when constitutional INTERPRETATION OF LAWS is the sole function of the JUDICIARY and PROSECUTION OF OFFENDERS, RESTS SQUARELY WITH THE EXECUTIVE ARM OF GOVERNMENT!

TIME FOR EFCC TO OVERSIGHT THE LEGISLATORS AND BRING THE CRIMINALS AMONG THEM TO JUSTICE!

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), boasted of 2,220 convictions across all its commands in the year 2021 which represented a 98.49% success rate in spite of challenges of criminal  prosecution in court.

This outstanding achievement is the highest ever recorded by the anti-graft agency since inception in 2003 and it is worthy of celebration in spite of the fact that there was no mention of any high-profile cases involving those who are squandering the nation’s very scarce resources on CARNAL FRIVOLITIES!

POSERS FOR EFCC CHAIRMAN ABDULRASHEED BAWA!

1) Have the functions of EFCC as the lead financial crimes agency of the Nigerian government been limited to prosecution of petty crimes committed by miscreants since his appointment?

2) It is an open secret that INSTITUTIONAL CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA has been the bane of good governance since inception and that the real culprits are seated in the LEADERSHIP ECHELON!

3)  Is the EFCC chairman unaware that the unbearable spate of insecurity in Nigeria is the brazen institutional robbery of the nation’s TREASURY by the “custodians” through their cronies?

4)  Is Abdulrasheed aware of organized financial crimes being perpetrated daily in the Three Arms and the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), are regularly exposed in the public domain by patriotic Non-Governmental Agencies (NGOs), but were neither investigated nor prosecuted because the personalities involved were the “untouchables”?

5) The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice told the whole world that in a period of 2001-2019), budgetary allocation and income from statutory and non-statutory sources totaling a sum of NGN6 trillion naira which was received by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), went down the drains with no projects to show for the humongous amount! In those long years, was the EFCC in limbo in spite of the fact that the Commission operated 362 unhidden Bank Accounts and citizens’ unceasing outcries and allegations of embezzlement against NNDC officers?

6) And whereas the duties of EFCC include but not limited to general investigation, investigation of money laundering, advance fee fraud, bank fraud, economic governance, terrorists financing, countering terrorism, fighting corruptions relating to finance as well as economic funds, miscellaneous offences and other crimes relating to economy and finances, investigations and  prosecution, judicial investigations within the mandate of the Commission according to international standards. 

ICPC IN 2021 ACCOSTED, ARRESTED AND CONFISCATED, ILLEGALLY ACQUIRED PROPERTIES FROM CIVIL SERVANTS IN PURSUANCE OF ITS MANDATE TO ELIMINATE CORRUPTION IN THE POLITY! 

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) recently exposed and arrested civil servants in pursuance of its official mandate of elimination of corruption.

In our recent publication 434th Edition of 5th December, 2021, We highlighted some sterling achievements of that agency as testified to the Chairman, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye himself. Please read below some excerpts of the Chairman’s success story which have been published in the media:

“ICPC CHAIRMAN IS NEW WHISTLE BLOWER WHO CANNOT BE GAGGED!

The Independent Corrupt Practices and related Offences Commission (ICPC), Chairman Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, has confirmed that there was gross abuse of personnel budget as duplication of projects by some Federal Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs),  amounting to NGN20,138 billion!

He disclosed that a review by his anti-graft agency revealed that duplication and padding occurred in the implementation of the 2021 Budget which involved about 257 projects adding that ICPC was investigating Ministry of Labour for corrupt employment/ issuance of fake letters of employment and fraudulently enrolling them on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and posting them to unsuspecting MDAs to work! 

Also on the ICPC searchlight are the University College Hospital, Ibadan and corrupt staff members of MDAs suspected of massive illegal recruitment!

In his privileged position as an academic and head of such an anti-corruption government institution, Professor Owasanoye’s claims which include but not limited to; massive budgetary scams, unilateral increase in wages, indiscriminate travels resulting in high inflation of personnel budget among other financial improprieties reflecting huge wage bills up to about 70% of annual budget can neither be faulted, wished away nor dismissed!

He also disclosed that ICPC was prosecuting one of the leaders of the syndicate from whose custody several fake letters of recommendation purportedly signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Honourable Ministers, Federal Civil Service Commission and other high-ranking Nigerians!

In addition CPC also recovered an advance of NGN51billion naira promissory notes from various Real Estate developers dominated by top public office holders who are the fraudulent investors in Abuja, the nation’s capital!

ICPC RECOVERS 300 HOUSES FROM TWO CIVIL SERVANTS IN ABUJA!

In the October, 2021, the ICPC Chairman disclosed at a Public Hearing on Real Estate, organised by the HOR Ad Hoc Committee on Investigation of Operations of Real Estate Developers in the FCT, that the anti-graft agency recovered over 300 Houses from two civil servants in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FTC)!

He expressed dismay that public officers were using real estate developers as conduits for illicit financial flows! 

It is therefore gratifying that the House of Representatives (HOR), has already moved to confirm all recent findings of the ICPC boss which were contained in his welcome address at the 3rd National Summit on Diminishing Corrupting in the Public Service and Presentation of Public Service Integrity Award held at the State House Conference Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday 30th November 2021.”

 THERE IS URGENT NEED FOR INTER-AGENCIES CO-OPERATION AND SYNERGY OF OPERATIONS!

The EFCC and ICPC Chairmen failed to mention that they synergised in any of their operations which yielded such sterling results but merely gave credit to themselves and their agencies!

It is now very pertinent that a national orientation for collective performance geared towards collective gains be inculcated in all agencies of government both at Federal, States and Local Government Areas and in no time, the common enemies of the societies – terrorists bandits, armed herdsmen etc, will be annihilated for PEACE to reign  in Nigeria again.

“It is good for brethren to dwell together in unity ...... “(Psalm 133:1-6).  

Please look forward to more divine revelation in the next edition of Zion B-BC Newsletter as you share this with friends and remain blessed in the Lord. [For weekly access, to this newsletter, log on to:  facebook.com/zionfaithbible.believingchurch or http://www.zfbbc1.blogspot.com, 

If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, don’t miss this great opportunity as you pray this prayer: Lord Jesus; I confess that I am a sinner who needs to be saved through the grace of the New Testament of your Blood, shed on the Cross at Calvary; I renounce every sin in my life and accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive me and write my name in the Book of Life. Amen. If you prayed this prayer, you have been admitted into the family of sons and daughters of God, who are born-again. Congratulations.  

I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, Resident Pastor and Editor. 08130669886, 08080243066. g-mail-dvdolufon@gmail.