[size=16pt]Sanusi: Too tough to handle[/size]
Sunday, 05 December 2010 04:23 Theophilus Abbah

Soaked to the skin in the avalanche of tough questions from the top team of the Nigerian Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriation, intelligent and nifty Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido, sustained his rhythm last Wednesday in the Senate Hearing Room 1. Giving Sanusi dirty looks and scoffingly addressing him, Senators Iyiola Omisore, Kanti Bello, Ahmed Makarfi, Patricia Akwashiki, Chris Anyanwu, Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, Ibrahim Ida, Ayogu Eze and Kabiru Gaya, respectively   attempted to spike the confidence of the CBN governor.

A QUESTION OF PERCENTAGE

What went wrong? In an attempt to drive home a point about the unconscionable overhead of government, Sanusi stirred up a hornets’ nest when he told a gathering at the Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, last weekend, that the National Assembly ‘overhead’ expenditure constituted a monstrous 25 per cent of the total government overhead in 2010. If a pie chart of government expenditure is drawn to show the overheads of all government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), a quarter of it would be labelled ‘National Assembly overhead.’ The swift image this would throw up is that 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives, a total of 469 Nigerians, earn so much over and above the total civil service work force, including ministers!

In order to denounce Sanusi and, probably, bring him to ridicule, the Senators summoned the CBN governor before the cameras of the Nigerian Television Authority, interrogated him to substantiate his arithmetic. The 2010 budget book says the country’s budget is N4.6 trillion, out of which the National Assembly’s expenditure is N134 billion. With these figures, the National Assembly’s expenditure would amount to 6.164 per cent of the total 2010 budget, a far cry from the CBN governor’s 25 percent. But can we explain away the brazen and inherent oddity in the reality that we spend N134 billion to service only 469 persons, while the remainder of us, over 150 million, share only N4.6 trillion? Many Nigerians were happy that Sanusi gave it to them straight from the shoulder, adamantly, and refused to be cowed and brought to ridicule. Newspaper reports at the weekend indicated that Sanusi’s figures were correct afterall. The Federal Government’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy paper shows that overhead budget for 2010 is N536.27bn, of which the National Assembly is N136,159,768.12 or 25% of the total sum.


SANUSI, NOT THE FIRST WHISTLE-BLOWER

Malam Sanusi was not the first whistle-blower in this matter. Journalists have been shouting themselves hoarse over this inexplicable misnomer. For instance, on July 13, 2008, Sunday Trust, published a lead story with the headline: “Jumbo Pay: NASS Members Earn N66 billion; each may earn N10 million monthly.” We had the instinct that the lawmakers earned much more than this figure I put out to the public. I had only computed the insignificant figures obtained from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which said the Senate President earned N16,395,800.00 annually, while the Speaker of the House of Representatives earned N12,261,694.50.  Each lawmaker, on the average, goes home with N1 million monthly. The other emoluments included millions of naira in constituency projects, vehicles, accommodation, furniture, severance package, etc. After this, we worked out the quarterly allocations to the lawmakers, put at an average of N42 million per House of Representatives member and N45 million for Senators, sums that each of them takes four times in a year. With these, we did an approximation to arrive at N10 million earning per lawmaker per month.

However, we were shocked that in spite of our despondence for not getting water-tight figures, some lawmakers complained bitterly that Sunday Trust had set them up against members of their constituencies. But, we were not moved. Recently, two lawmakers donated N300 million to the University of Maiduguri. Is this from their salaries? As we enter the election year, we encounter lawmakers who engage in shocking expenditure, like purchasing a hundred vehicles to be distributed to political leaders in their constituencies in order to beat their competitors to it. How did they earn so much money to pay up for those vehicles?  From this, it is apparent to the blind that these lawmakers are not serving Nigerians. Conversely, Nigeria is actually working for them. If we are to attach monetary values to their warped debates, their absence from the chambers, and their complicity and complacency to their task of supervising government ministries, departments and agencies, we will get very ireful because they earn too much for a song.

On Monday, June 21, this year, Businessday newspaper did a comparative study of what the leaders of our National Assembly earned, viz-a-viz what their American and British counterparts earned. The report revealed that David Mark, as Senate President, earned an equivalent of $3.7 million per annum, while Bod-Casey, the US Senate leader, earned $193,400 per annum. On his part, the Leader of the United Kingdom’s House of Lords earned $136,031 per annum. The report indicated further that while our own Dimeji Bankole earned $1.5 million as Speaker; Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of US parliament, earned $208,100, and John Bercow, speaker of UK parliament earned $136,031. Can we prove that our legislators are more committed to their jobs than the US and UK parliamentarians?


WHAT DOES OMISORE MEAN?

Casting of stones at journalists. Denials. These were the reactions to these figures in Businessday.  That reminds one of Senator Omisore’s preamble before the senators began to grill Sanusi last Wednesday. The senator commanded the CBN governor to authenticate his 25% earning allegations (only) from the 2010 budget. The senator’s warning could be put thus: ‘if Senator Omisore wanted Sanusi to confine his defense to the provisions of the budget, it meant that there were some extra-budgetary sources of income available to lawmakers which Sanusi should not allude to while making his defense.’


If there are extra-budgetary incomes for lawmakers, we should ask, how legal are such earnings?  As one mulls over this perspective, it becomes clearer why the systems are not working. Bizarre and puzzling compromises between our lawmakers and the executive have given liver to sleaze and wastes that have slowed down the wheel of development in Nigeria.

Our lawmakers are never worried by the incongruity in their income and expenditure. They live in unaffordable houses; maintain fleets of cars; display their narcissism, and snigger or even fall down laughing at those who went to the polls to elect them.

How do we solve this ugly financial obesity among our lawmakers?  It’s simple. The antidote to the ‘ailment’ is within the legislative assembly. The lawmakers should enact a law that comprehensively designs the borders of their incomes. The chambers should supervise the lifestyles of their members to ensure that those who take toxic funds are sanctioned. Without such measures, the public perception of the legislature will continue to be negative.

[url=http://www.sunday.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5436&catid=3&Itemid=110[/b]]http://www.sunday.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5436&catid=3&Itemid=110[/url]

Yes o. The fear of Sanusi is the begining of wisdom for the legisLOOTERS.

Shame on the law lootersmakers.

Omisore might not be back as a senator, this is the last chance to grab any largesse available and bequeated to him by our ever generous FG, b4 his likes get booted out by the ACN War machine that would roll into Oyo State next year.

I think i will go into politics

Just don't join PDP!

I think i will go into politics too

I think i will go into politics

I think i will go into politics too

Just Do It!

What Sanusi is doing is what people like Ribadu, Utomi and Duke should also be doing.

Take a job in govt and say it as it is.

Sanusi does not have and does not need the fineese of a politician, remeber during the era of sacking the bank MDs he went ahead to say some of them should be shot at the stakes, that is what it takes to talk passionately.

The National Assembly is taking more than the economy can afford is a political way of saying what Sanusi said but then would it have the same impact as the 25% overhead is having now?

Why wont Ribadu support Jonathan get appointed as a Minister in charge of police affairs where he will have to deal with the corruption in the police force, or takes a senatorial seat and become a member or committee chairman over EFCC and come all out with the truths not political statements.

If we have just 20 Sanusis at the highest level of govt, that would make contributions at FECs and NECs we would see changes in a short while

marvix:

What Sanusi is doing is what people like Ribadu, Utomi and Duke should also be doing.

Take a job in govt and say it as it is.

Sanusi does not have and does not need the fineese of a politician, remeber during the era of sacking the bank MDs he went ahead to say some of them should be shot at the stakes, that is what it takes to talk passionately.

The National Assembly is taking more than the economy can afford is a political way of saying what Sanusi said but then would it have the same impact as the 25% overhead is having now?

Why wont Ribadu support Jonathan get appointed as a Minister in charge of police affairs where he will have to deal with the corruption in the police force, or takes a senatorial seat and become a member or committee chairman over EFCC and come all out with the truths not political statements.

If we have just 20 Sanusis at the highest level of govt, that would make contributions at FECs and NECs we would see changes in a short while

Sanusi's position is a tenured position. It is almost impossible without breaking the law, to sack him. Did you hear the point the senators tried to box him into saying that the position was too difficult for him to handle?

Ribadu/Utomi/Duke accepting any ministerial position is to me, an easy way to ridicule. Those positions are not just easy means of spoiling whatever little name one has made for himself, even the 'masses' who sugested you accept such position will finish you before you start.

What happened to Okonjo Iweala after OBJ got what he wanted from her? Same thing Ezekwesili? They barely managed to hands of with their integrity intact. Even Wole Soyinka was not spared by IBB. Have you also forgotten so soon what happened to Ribadu at EFCC?

I assure you, if Sanusi was a minister, he would have been fired long time ago. Was the minister of state for finance not ridiculed and sent to 'special duties' ministry by the same Jonathan government for a statement not even half as bad as Sanusi's?

KAI! KAI! 10milla/month??

no, no I too must enter politics and become a senator.

proudly9ja:

Sanusi's position is a tenured position. It is almost impossible without breaking the law, to sack him. Did you hear the point the senators tried to box him into saying that the position was too difficult for him to handle?

Ribadu/Utomi/Duke accepting any ministerial position is to me, an easy way to ridicule. Those positions are not just easy means of spoiling whatever little name one has made for himself, even the 'masses' who sugested you accept such position will finish you before you start.

What happened to Okonjo Iweala after OBJ got what he wanted from her? Same thing Ezekwesili? They barely managed to hands of with their integrity intact. Even Wole Soyinka was not spared by IBB. Have you also forgotten so soon what happened to Ribadu at EFCC?

I assure you, if Sanusi was a minister, he would have been fired long time ago. Was the minister of state for finance not ridiculed and sent to 'special duties' ministry by the same Jonathan government for a statement not even half as bad as Sanusi's?

Even if Sanusi is to be fired by the NASS wont we all see him as a hero.

If you are appointed as a minister pls dont take it as being favoured, it is a call to duty, its serious work, there is no blessing when you are made a minister, because ur life is now public.

Imagine being a minister of health and just when you are preparing and planning to celebrate ur 50th birthday, the doctors call a strike, you either forget abt ur birthday or go ahead and bear all the insults that Nigerians would give you.

As a minister its not a life position do your job, say it to us as it is, dont put in too much fineese, just give it to those who need to know insimple english that we can all relate with, if you are been pressed or embarrassed by the president quit honorably!

At least the Minister of state quit, after he was posted to special duties, the same thing Okonjo-Iweala did.

Ribadu allowed himself to be used, we all know Objs daughter was involved in the scandal that swept out Adenike Grange as Minister but because of her father what did Ribadu do.

You need to follow Sanusi when he speaks and you will understand his passion.

He said at a particular forum that his grandfather and father were able to grow to become northerners while we of today have not been able to grow to become Nigerians, that statement is very powerful if you can look at it critically.

If you have integrity take up a job and salvage the country, put ur integrity on the line ensure you live aboard even if you must loot or embezzle ensure that it is an approved looting or embezzlement.

It is a disgrace that a minister still wants to steal from the country, as long as u are a minister you dont feed yourself, ur kids fees are paid by the govt, u virtyally do nothing for yourself with ur salary and yet you want to acquire billions as if you are in buisness.

God alone will forgive all of them but while we await Gods deliverance every Tom Dick and Harry can not be president at the same time.

If our govt is run in a standard way the president is not an overall powerful man, remeber Yaradua once asked his ministers that if he issued a directive that is not in consonance with due process they should not obey but bring it to his notice.

It simply means that when the president asks you to spend or approves money from your Ministry without your recommendations and input you can hold back the funds by not authorising it.

Mai Suya:

KAI! KAI! 10milla/month??

no, no I too must enter politics and become a senator.

Pray the person you plan to upstage doesn't send assassins to hound you out of existence!

marvix:

Even if Sanusi is to be fired by the NASS wont we all see him as a hero.

If you are appointed as a minister pls dont take it as being favoured, it is a call to duty, its serious work, there is no blessing when you are made a minister, because your life is now public.

Imagine being a minister of health and just when you are preparing and planning to celebrate your 50th birthday, the doctors call a strike, you either forget abt your birthday or go ahead and bear all the insults that Nigerians would give you.

,

You have only stated an ideal situation. Nigerian FG as it is today is not ideal. I am certain even Okonjo and Ezekwesili must have received assurances from OBJ before accepting ministerial positions. Sanusi cannot function as a minister as Nigeria is at the mo. He either tones down his words/actions or he will be sacked. What is the use of accepting a position when you know you will be sacked for speaking the truth? Why then don't you seek to get to that position where it is more difficult to sack you?

I agree with you Sanusi is passionate but I have heard Ribadu, Buhari, Okonjo-Iweala, etc speak too and they sound passionate. Unfortunately, the present breed of politicians we have don't like such people. What is even worse is that the people too don't like such people. I remember well the barrage of attack Okonjo got as finince minister because of her salary (same with Ezekwesili). Even Ribadu was attacked by Nigerians. Hell, even Gani was stoned by Lagosians for daring to take their lion of bourdillon to court. Sorry, I digress.

Anyone who has 'passion' for a new Naija can do little in FG as it works today. That's why most of these 'passionate' people are working towards becoming the no1 citizen.

What I would have rather suggested is a coalition. Imagine Ribadu/Buhari/ Utomi, etc in the same party (not PDP not AD not ANPP). It doesn't matter who heads or who is VP, what matters is all working towards same goal.

If I was one of them that would be my goal. Working together to form a political party with credible Nigerians all working towards the same goal.