The bid by government to take $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account to fund the war against insurgency in the North East attracted protests in Senate on Thursday as lawmakers expressed disappointment that the leadership had refused to open a debate on the contentious proposal.
It became an uphill task for Senate President Bukola Saraki, to persuade his colleagues that the Senate would debate the matter upon resumption of the upper legislative chamber for plenary for Christmas and New Year break by January 16, 2017.
However, budget defence will resume a week earlier.
Severally, Saraki’s appeals were rejected as lawmakers went into deep murmur as a sign of disapproval.
Trouble started when the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, raised a Point of Order and drew attention to the fact that Thursday’s Senate Order Paper was silent on the matter despite the fact that the Senate had on Wednesday agreed to debate it the following day.
Sam Anyanwu (PDP, Imo State) had on Wednesday drawn the attention of his colleagues to the fact that the planned withdrawal of $1billion had become a matter of urgent national importance demanding serious debate by the upper chamber.
He asked the Senate to allow him sponsor a motion on the matter for debate the following day which was supposed to be on Thursday.
Shortly after Ekweremadu raised the matter, most of his colleagues became agitated and wanted a positive response from Saraki.
On noticing the mood of his colleagues, Saraki painstakingly explained why the motion could not be taken.
Saraki did not explain why the motion was not on the Order Paper but stated that the fact that Anyanwu was not in chamber had made it difficult for the debate to commence.
His explanation failed to stop the push as the murmur grew thicker.
The Senate President then devised another means by going on lighter mood to say that his present political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), would not agree that monies be spent without due process.
He assured Senators that immediately the Senate returns from the new year holiday, a debate would be opened on the motion.
Saraki said: “This matter should have come up today(yesterday) but Senator Sam Anyanwu was not able to present his paper today. He sought for more time and I agreed with him that it will be taken care of in the next legislative day (Jeers and laughs by senators).
And Saraki continued: “As you can see he is not here. And unfortunately, we have put it down. (Murmur from senators)…. Our next legislative day is…. When we resume, it will be the first item on the Order Paper (more jeers from senators). He is not here. We can’t take it when the person who moved it is not here. And it’s a very important motion that needs to be delivered very well. It cannot be delegated.
“We are pushing for the next legislative day but we will take it. I can assure you that we will take it; I give you assurance that we will take it (jeers from PDP senators continued).
Realising that Senators were insisting, Saraki said: “No no, no, no, no. Our party does not do things like that. We will not spend money that does not follow due process. I am assuring you that that money will not be spent until we come back here and debate it”
Curiously, Anyanwu resurfaced shortly after the Senate adjourned session till January 16, 2018 to attend a committee meeting without a word on why he stayed away from the chamber to present his motion.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
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