Fred Itua, Abuja
Barring any last minute change, Senate will, this week, take a position on President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged approval of the release of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Accounts (ECA), to purchase security equipment to tackle Boko Haram in the North East.
Last Wednesday, Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, disclosed at the end of a National Security Council meeting, chaired by Buhari, that the president has approved $1 billion for arms purchase.
“I can inform you that, of recent, our leader, president Muhammadu Buhari, gave approval for the purchase of more equipment for the military, worth $1 billion,” Dan-Ali said then.
But, at the weekend, Senate President BUkola Saraki, said the National Assembly is not happy about the planned release of the money.
Saraki disclosed that lawmakers were not consulted by Buhari before he took the decision.
“Just few days ago, the issue of providing funding for the purchase of security equipment came up.
“In a good environment, such an issue needed to have been discussed with lawmakers.
“Already, some senators are angry. They said they were not consulted by the Executive before such a decision was taken.
“These are the issues we are talking about,” Saraki revealed last Saturday in Jos, capital of Plateau State, at a three-day retreat organised by the Senate Press Corps.
When senators resume this week after their two-week Easter break, the issue is expected to be extensively discussed, where they may likely take a position on the matter.
Daily Sun gathered that some senators have impressed it on the chamber’s leadership that release of the money must be stopped, until there is an official approval by both chambers of the National Assembly.
Beyond the $1 billion fund, Senate may also consider and take a position on Buhari’s request for approval of N4.6 trillion bond from the capital market.
There are also indications that the Senate will reject the request.
Expressing reservations about the request, Saraki disclosed that the leadership of the National Assembly was not consulted before the request letter was forwarded to them.
“Imagine the Federal Government wants to raise a N4.6 trillion bond from the capital market. The leadership of the National Assembly first heard about it through a letter written by the president. This is what is happening,” said Saraki.
Senate will also discuss the pending 2018 budget. Although it has set April 24 as the deadline to pass the budget into law, some heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are yet to appear before the relevant standing committees.
Senate is expected to take a position on whether or not to go ahead and work on the final phase of the budget document without inputs from certain MDAs.
The nation’s upper legislative chamber, will, today, suspend plenary to mourn the death of a serving senator, Mustapha Bukar from Katsina North.
He died last week.