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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
A Civil Society Organisation (CSO) under the auspices of Good Governance Initiative (GGI), has berated members of both chambers of the National Assembly for acceding to President Bola Tinubu’s request for amendment of the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act to make provisions for palliatives to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
The CSO also accused the lawmakers of indifference to flooding in the country, arguing that instead of paying contractors working on various infrastructural projects that will prevent flood they preferred to rechannel the fund to palliatives.
The move, according to the group, will have negative implications on the rule of law and due process, warning that it could make investors lose confidence in Nigeria.
The President recently sought and got the National Assembly’s approval to amend the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act to spend N500 billion as palliative and other capital expenditure to cushion the impact of the recent subsidy removal.
The total size of the 2022 Supplementary budget is N819 billion out of which N705 billion is allocated to the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing while N69 billion is for the Ministry of Agriculture.
It is out of this lump sum that the president requested for approval to move N500 billion, more than 50 per cent of the total sum, for palliative.
Of the N500 billion, the sum of N185.236 billion was for the Ministry of Works and Housing to alleviate the impact of severe flooding experienced in the country in 2022 and on road infrastructure across the six-political zones of the country.
Addressing reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, Executive Secretary of the CSO, Tony Luka, said the immediate past administration of president Muhammadu Buhari through the Ministry of Works awarded contracts for the road infrastructures and some of the contractors have completed their work while others have done more than 50 per cent.
“It is therefore a breach of agreement for the government to move the money that was clearly voted for these jobs to a phantom palliative. The fact that the National Assembly approved this show how selfish the lawmakers are,” he noted.
Luka also claimed that findings by the CSO showed that some of the contractors took facilities from banks to start the work, noting that government’s decision to use the money that should be used in paying them for palliative could further worsen the situation.
He expressed fears that some of the contractors could be forced to abandon site, warning that should that happened, it could have catastrophic effect since there are report of flooding in some areas already.
“The fact that Mr President who is seen as a business man that will provide clementine environment for genuine business men to do their trade could condone this is worrying to us. Should this not be immediately reversed with the contractors paid and those yet to finish the job getting full assurance of payment upon completion, then we should be ready to see investors leave in droves,” he warned.
While urging the president to rescind the decision and ensure the money is used for what it was initially budgeted, the CSO said doing otherwise will compound the woes of most Nigerians as work on the road infrastructures would be stalled.
He lampooned the NASS for approving President’s request ‘simply because they have been assured of N70 billion, noting that “they are comfortable with their constituents being killed or displaced by flood disaster while they ride big vehicles in Abuja.
“The Ministry of Work has awarded contracts worth N705 billion to different contractors, bothering on infrastructures destroyed by 2022 flood disaster and most of the contractors have since mobilised to site and jobs are at various level of completion.
“Government’s decision to take N500 billion the budget will negatively impact on the contract and some commitments entered into with the federal government.
“Should this be allowed to stand, it will negatively impact on the relationship between the federal government and contractors or investors. No investor will freely invest in Nigeria because of uncertainty of this nature,” he warned.
