Obasanjo writes letter to Saraki and Dogara, criticize them over plans to buy more cars for their legislative duties

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has written
a letter to the Senate President Bukola Saraki and
Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu
Dogara criticizing them over the reported plans to
buy more cars for each Senator to carry out their
legislative duties. In the letter dated January
13th, Obasanjo stated that it was insensitive of
the legislators to think of buying more cars
considering the critical state of the Nigerian
economy. Full text of the letter after the cut...
Distinguished Senator Bukola Saraki
President of the Senate Federal Republic of
Nigeria
Senate Chambers Abuja.
Honourable Yakubu Dogara Speaker,
House of Representatives,
National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
It is appropriate to begin this letter, which I am
sending to all members of the Senate and the
House of Representatives through both of you at
this auspicious and critical time, with wishes of
Happy New Year to you all. On a few occasions in
the past, both in and out of office as the
President of Nigeria I have agonised on certain
issues within the arms of government at the
national level and among the tiers of government
as well. Not least, I have reflected and expressed,
outspokenly at times, my views on the practice in
the National Assembly which detracts from
distinguishness and honourability because it is
shrouded in opaqueness and absolute lack of
transparency and could not be regarded as
normal, good and decent practice in a democracy
that is supposed to be exemplary.
I am, of course, referring to the issue of budgets
and finances of the National Assembly. The
present economic situation that the country has
found itself in is the climax of the steady erosion
of good financial and economic management
which grew from bad to worse in the last six
years or so. The executive and the legislative
arms of government must accept and share
responsibility in this regard. And if there will be a
redress of the situation as early as possible, the
two arms must also bear the responsibility
proportionally . The two arms ran the affairs of
the country unmindful of the rainy day.
The rainy day is now here. It would not work that
the two arms should stand side by side with one
arm pulling and without the support of the other
one for good and efficient management of the
economy. The purpose of election into the
Legislative Assembly particularly at the national
level is to give service to the nation and not for
the personal service and interest of members at
the expense of the nation which seemed to have
been the mentality, psychology, mindset and
practice within the National Assembly since the
beginning of this present democratic
dispensation. Where is patriotism? Where is
commitment? Where is service? The beginning of
good governance which is the responsibility of all
arms and all the tiers of government is openness
and transparency. It does not matter what else
we try to do as long as one arm of government
shrouds its financial administration and
management in opaqueness and practices rife
with corruption, only very little, if anything at all,
can be achieved in pulling Nigeria on the path of
sustainable and enduring democratic system,
development and progress. Governance without
transparency will be a mockery of democracy.
Let us be more direct and specific so that action
can be taken where it is urgently necessary. A
situation where our national budget was
predicated on $38 per barrel of oil with estimated
2 million barrels per day and before the budget
was presented, the price of oil had gone down to
$34 per barrel and now hovering around $30 and
we have no assurance of producing 2 million
barrels and if we can, we have no assurance of
finding market for it, definitely calls for caution. If
production and price projected on the budget
stand, we would have to borrow almost one third
of the 6 trillion naira budget. Now beginning with
the reality of the budget, there is need for sober
reflection and sacrifice with innovation at the
level of executive and legislative arms of
government. The soberness, the sacrifice and
seriousness must be patient and apparent. It
must not be seen and said that those who, as
leaders, call for sacrifice from the citizenry are
living in obscene opulence. It will not only be
insensitive but callously so.
It would seem that it is becoming a culture that
election into the legislative arm of government at
the national level in particular is a licence for
financial misconduct and that should not be. The
National Assembly now has a unique opportunity
of presenting a new image of itself. It will help to
strengthen, deepen, widen and sustain our
democracy.
By our Constitution, the Revenue Mobilisation,
Allocation and Fiscal Commission is charged with
the responsibility of fixing emoluments of the
three arms of government: executive, legislature
and judiciary. The Commission did its job but by
different disingenuous ways and devices, the
legislature had overturned the recommendation of
the Commission and hiked up for themselves that
which they are unwilling to spelt out in detail,
though they would want to defend it by force of
arm if necessary. What is that? Mr. President of
the Senate and Hon. Speaker of the House, you
know that your emolument which the Commission
had recommended for you takes care of all your
legitimate requirements: basic salary, car,
housing, staff, constituency allowance. Although
the constituency allowance is paid to all members
of the National Assembly, many of them have no
constituency offices which the allowance is partly
meant to cater for. And yet other allowances and
payments have been added by the National
Assembly for the National Assembly members’
emoluments. Surely, strictly speaking, it is
unconstitutional. There is no valid argument for
this except to see it for what it is: law-breaking
and impunity by lawmakers.
The lawmakers can return to the path of honour,
distinguishness, sensitivity and responsibility. The
National Assembly should have the courage to
publish its recurrent budgets for the years 2000,
2005, 20 10 and 2015. That is what transparency
demands. With the number of legislators not
changing, comparison can be made. Comparisons
in emoluments can also be made with countries
like Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and even Malaysia
and Indonesia who are richer and more developed
than we are. The budget is a proposal and only
an estimate of income and expenditure. Where
income is inadequate, expenditure will not be
made. While in government, I was threatened with
impeachment by the members of the National
Assembly for not releasing some money they
had appropriated for themselves which were
odious and for which there were no incomes to
support .
The recent issue of cars for legislators would fall
into the same category. Whatever name it is
disguised as, it is unnecessary and insensitive. A
pool of a few cars for each Chamber will suffice
for any Committee Chairman or members for any
specific duty. The waste that has gone into cars,
furniture, housing renovation in the past was
mind-boggling and these were veritable sources
of waste and corruption. That was why they were
abolished. Bringing them back is inimical to the
interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. The way of
proposing budget should be for the executive to
discuss every detail of the budget, in preparation,
with different Committees and sub-Committees of
the National Assembly and the National Assembly
to discuss its budget with the Ministry of
Finance. Then, the budget should be brought
together as consolidated budget and formally
presented to the National Assembly, to be
deliberated and debated upon and passed into
law. It would then be implemented as revenues
are available.
Where budget proposals are extremely ambitious
like the current budget and revenue sources are
so uncertain, more borrowing may have to be
embarked upon, almost up to 50% of the budget
or the budget may be grossly unimplementable
and unimplemented. Neither is a choice as both
are bad. Management of the economy is one of
the key responsibilities of the President as
prescribed in the Constitution. He cannot do so if
he does not have his hands on the budget.
Management of the economy is shared
responsibility where the Presidency has the lion
share of the responsibility. But if the National
Assembly becomes a clog in the wheel, the
executive efforts will not yield much reward or
progress. The two have to work synchronisingly
together to provide the impetus and the
conducive environment for the private sector to
play its active vanguard role.
Management of the budget is the first step to
manage the economy. It will be interesting if the
National Assembly will be honourable enough and
begin the process of transparency, responsibility
and realism by publishing its recurrent budgets
for 2016 as it should normally be done. Hopefully,
the National Assembly will take a step back and
do what is right not only in making its own
budget transparent but in all matters of financial
administration and management including audit
of its accounts by external outside auditor from
1999 to date.
This, if it is done, will bring a new dawn to
democracy In Nigeria and a new and better image
for the National Assembly and it will surely avoid
the Presidency and the National Assembly going
into face-off all the time on budgets and financial
matters.
While I thank you for your patience and
understanding, please accept, Dear Senate
President and Honourable Speaker of the House,
the assurances of my highest consideration.


Yours sincerely,

Olusegun Obasanjo