Another wept for Naija Story

[juventuss]

This Day (Lagos)

April 26, 2004
Posted to the web April 26, 2004

Kola Ologbondiyan
Abuja

80 Senators want Senate President to resign

No fewer than 80 Senators last night called on Senate President Adolphus Wabara to resign honourably, following discontents over the sharing of N600m senate allocation.


The 80 Senators who ended their meeting at Nicon Hilton Hotel, Abuja early this morning said Wabara's resignation was the only way that could save the image of the Senate as going into full-scale investigation would dig up a lot of messy details.

THISDAY gathered that seven out of 80 gave their mandate through Senators who were present because they are out of the country. They however promised to be at the Senate sitting tomorrow.

Among those present, only two senators refused to append their signatures. They are: the Chairman Senate Committee on Public Account Senator Mamman Ali and Chairman Finance and Appropriation Committee Senator John Azuka Mbata. No principal officer, however, attended the meeting.

The Senate has 107 members presently. The Borno South is in contention and Senator Iyiola Omisore is in prison.

However, as the meeting was going on, there were indications that Wabara was within the hotel vicinity.

As at press time, Mbata and Ali were retreated fo another meeting to see how they can scuttle the present situation.

Before the meeting at Nicon Hilton Hotel, there had been separate meetings of zonal caucuses and an earlier meeting of the Senate leadership with the President.

According to one of the arrow-heads of the move to remove Wabara, "President Olusegun Obasanjo's remark at the meeting we held on Saturday night was that 'he would not support anybody linked with stealing.

Those who attended the meeting with Obasanjo include Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Nasir Mantu, the Acting Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, Senators Ifeanyi Araraume, Arthur Nzeribe and Florence Ita-Giwa, (the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters) as well as Senator David Mark among others.

But Ita-Giwa was said to be lobbying senators yesterday that Obasanjo "has not supported the removal of the Senate President for now." When contacted, Senator David Mark said, "if that is Ita-Giwa's position so be it but that would not stop us. That was not what the President told us at that meeting and it was not only Ita-Giwa that was present there."

Also yesterday night, the Northwest, South-south and South-east caucuses met separately to decide the fate of the embattled Senate President.

A source, who attended the North-west meeting, told THISDAY, "we would come up with a harmonised position at the 10 pm meeting with all senators. But for now, positions differ on what to do."

There were also reports at about 9.40 pm when the South-south caucus concluded its meeting, which was said to have been presided over by Anenih, that Wabara should resign from office.

Anenih was said to have advised the caucus "that the calibre of people involved in the plot to remove Wabara can't be ignored."

However, when THISDAY spoke to Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP, Cross River) he was not categorical about the decision of the caucus stating that "let us hold the enlarged meeting, then we can talk."

When pressed further on whether Anenih presided over the meeting, Ndoma-Egba said "no comment."

None of the senators from the South-east was prepared to pick their phones despite repeated calls as at 10.22pm but THISDAY gathered that majority of the caucus members would go ahead to address a press conference already billed for today where the South-east senators are expected to formally withdraw their backing for Wabara.

THISDAY also gathered that the North-central caucus did not meet because "we have a consensus that the man should go. There is no need for a meeting because we have already taken a position on that," said one of the arrow heads of the plot to sack Wabara yesterday.

When THISDAY contacted a member of the pro-Wabara group, Senator John Azuta-Mbata on the position of their group, he said: "I won't be able to talk now because of where I am." When asked what the position of the south-south caucus, Azuta-Mbata said, "I did not attend, I'm only taking my briefing now." He however said he would attend. "I'm already in NICON," he added.

Meanwhile, documents relating to how a sum of N110m contracts were awarded within two weeks, December 16 to 30, in the Senate and all payments for the contract made on December 13 have been made public.

The documents, many of which were backed by the Federal Government of Nigeria Payment Vouchers, showed that on December 16, the following contracts were awarded: award of contract for the supply of office equipment to the Senate valued at N2,195, 000 to M/S FORMAS General Enterprises of No. 25B Abuja-Keffi Road, FCT-Abuja;

award of contract for the supply of office equipment to the Senate awarded to Messrs Gablum Investment Ltd., of Gablum Investment Ltd, No 14, Angwan Alubawa Zoo Road, Kano, valued at N1,660,000.

There was also the award of contract for the printing and production of 300 copies of Standing Rules for the Senate at total sum of N1,000,000 to M/S Corporate Consumables Nig Ltd of 32, Hospital Road, Ikom, Cross River State;

award of contract for the submission of design concepts for the Senate 2004 calendar to Performance & Performers Limited of NASS -Abuja 5;

award of contract for the maintenance and servicing of office equipment to the Senate to M/S BAFEM-OJA Enterprises of No. 46, Church Street, Ijora Obadia, Lagos at a cost of N1, 842,000; and the award of contract for the supply of office equipment to the Senate to M/S SABOLA Omo Ventures of No 4, Lagos Street, Ebute-Metta - Lagos valued at N4.9m.

According to the documents, which bore the signature of one Mansur S. Jarkasa, who signed on behalf of the Clerk to the National Assembly, last December 23, there was

award of contract for the supply of stationeries/printing materials for the Senate to the tune of N9.7m to M/S Aji Destiny Nig Ltd, No 303, Hospital Road, Ikom, Cross Rivers State

M/S Sabola Omo Ventures, No. 4, Lagos Street, Ebute-Metta, Lagos also had award of contract for the supply of office consumables for the Senate at the cost of N16.2m
M/S Scorparies, of Flat 6, Plot 111, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 11, Abuja received the award of contract for the supply of gift items for the Senate valued at N6.4m

Performance & Performers No. 5, Roluga Street, Soliyi, Gbagada, Lagos also won contract for the printing and production of 2004 Calendar at a cost of N4.5m

M/S Yaliam Press, 1373, Borno St; Area 10, Garki - Abuja won the award of contract for the production of 10,000 copies of Senate 2004 Calendar Almanac at a unit price of N950 but amount approved for total cost was N10.4m.

On Christmas day, December 25, a letter for award of contract for the supply of souvenir to the Senate at a cost of N43m was issued to Mssrs Business Tentacles Nig. Ltd of Suite A51, Neighbourhood Shopping Centre, Zone 3, Wuse, Abuja

while M/S Leeward Side Nig. Ltd. & Associates, 142, Borno Way/14, Lagos Street, 2nd Floor, Sabola Omo Suites, Ebute-Metta, Lagos got the award of contract for the supply of stationeries and office consumables to the Senate at a total contract sum of N8m
. The total cost of the contracts is about N110m.

But Wabara's Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Henry Ugbolue, in a swift reaction said "certain senators who are desperately seeking reasons (and finding none) to oust the President of the Senate have curiously resorted to circulating documents which they claim to be evidence that Chief Wabara has been approving and awarding contracts."

Ugbolue said "in the desperation to smear the President of the Senate at all costs, they forgot to thoroughly study the documents they are circulating. None of these documents bears the good name of or signature of the President of the Senate, Chief Adolphus Wabara as the approving or awarding authority of any contract as being alleged by persons who are obviously opposed to the regime of transparency and accountability that Chief Wabara has put in place since assuming office as the President of the Senate.

"For the record, the President of the Senate is not the Accounting Officer of the National Assembly and given his firm civil service background, Chief Wabara is conversant with civil service rules and financial regulations. He is therefore not the approving authority for contracts in the National Assembly.

"Indeed, overwhelming majority of the Distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic are aware that the President of the Senate obey these rules and thus could not have been awarding contracts as being falsely claimed by these desperate people who are simply blinded by vaulting ambition," Ugbolue added.

He also continued: "Since the Clerk of the National Assembly (CNA) is the Accounting Officer of the Assembly, letters conveying approval of contracts in the National Assembly could only bear his name and signature or that of his subordinates that may include the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, the Clerk or the Senate of the House of Representatives.

"The game plan of these scheming senators and their cohorts is to win sympathy from several quarters and manipulate the media to earn support for their ill-timed and ill-motivated bid to un-seat the President of the Senate, by hanging curious, unsubstantiated and even laughable charges of corruption against him.

"Let it be on record that Chief Wabara will at all times and with pride and joy defend whatever financial transactions in the National Assembly that bears his name or signature," Ugbolue submitted.

However, THISDAY discovered from the contract papers that the proposal by the Performance & Performers Limited that won two contracts of design concepts as well as printing and production of 2004 Calendar Almanac was addressed to "The President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senate Building, F.C.T. Abuja while Business Tentacles Nigeria Limited which won a souvenir contract of N43m also addressed its proposal to "The President of the Senate, Office of the Senate President, National Assembly, Three Arms Zone, Abuja."

The Yaliam Press, which also won a contract for the production of 10,000 copies of 2004 Senate Almanac Calendar at N950 per copy, quoted N9.5m but was paid N10.4m, also addressed its proposal to The Senate President, National Assembly, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Some of the anti-Wabara senators, who spoke on this development argued that the Standing Rule of Senate Rule 2003, Section 97 (3) "conferred the issue of welfare of senators, budget and appropriation of the Senate, maintenance of the Senate chamber and premises including offices and accommodation, provision of equipment and materials for Senate premises, provision of motor vehicles and monitoring of the finances of the Senate on the Senate Services Committee.

"Why were the proposals not directed to them, go and find out," one of them told THISDAY yesterday.
Since last week, some senators have been moving to impeach the Senate President over the handling of their allocation.

The aggrieved senators noted that the Senate President unfairly allocated more money to his office and chose to give individual senators paltry sum for their operations.


Wabara's kinsmen from the South-east are said to be the motivating force behind the plot. The Senate President flew into the country from London after attending an Inter Parliamentary Union Session in Mexico.
On arrival in Abuja, the Senate President went straight to a meeting scheduled by some senators to address the development.

How many "Office equipment" dem get for senators ?

[Yettycom]

How many "Office equipment" dem get for senators ?

i weak o... d way these people dey chop our money is unbelievable

-- supply of Office equipment about 3times.....
-- which one be office consumables for 16.2m
-- 2004 calenders awarded twice for 4.5m & 10.4m
-- Stationeries/printing materials also awarded twice for 9.7m & 8m. even if they use gold/platinum plated parker pens, it shouldn't cost up to 17.7m
-- Souvenirs for 43m.... (wetin dem do? diamond studded 24karat gold bracelets or is it rolex wristwatches)

anyway, dem never realize se bone dey hook person 4 throat especially d one wey u thief...... bunch of clowns and thieves.... from the oga to d omo ise.... bill dem no go gree pass...only yeye ones.... the child rights bill which should av been top priority was shrugged aside cos they didn't like it..... it was unbelievable...... but when it comes to allocating money 4 themselves, we go hear tory....

In the budget/appropriation bill, they inflated their budget by more than 100%..... ole, barawo, thieves all of them...............

they have ordinary headache, they go abroad.... most of them dont go 4 sittings, always abroad 4 one yeye thing or d other...

NONSENSE TO ALL OF THEM......

To the lawyers here, isn't there a law/enactment that we can use to remove these people from office... afterall we "supposedly" voted them in....

[juventuss]

How many "Office equipment" dem get for senators ?

i weak o... d way these people dey chop our money is unbelievable

-- supply of Office equipment about 3times.....
-- which one be office consumables for 16.2m
-- 2004 calenders awarded twice for 4.5m & 10.4m
-- Stationeries/printing materials also awarded twice for 9.7m & 8m. even if they use gold/platinum plated parker pens, it shouldn't cost up to 17.7m
-- Souvenirs for 43m.... (wetin dem do? diamond studded 24karat gold bracelets or is it rolex wristwatches)

anyway, dem never realize se bone dey hook person 4 throat especially d one wey u thief...... bunch of clowns and thieves.... from the oga to d omo ise.... bill dem no go gree pass...only yeye ones.... the child rights bill which should av been top priority was shrugged aside cos they didn't like it..... it was unbelievable...... but when it comes to allocating money 4 themselves, we go hear tory....

In the budget/appropriation bill, they inflated their budget by more than 100%..... ole, barawo, thieves all of them...............

they have ordinary headache, they go abroad.... most of them dont go 4 sittings, always abroad 4 one yeye thing or d other...

NONSENSE TO ALL OF THEM......

To the lawyers here, isn't there a law/enactment that we can use to remove these people from office... afterall we "supposedly" voted them in....

I dey wonder myself. When you spend 110m out of 600m in 2 WEEKS. haba... Thats too much.

[deanotito]

We've had 4 senate presidents in 5 years and 3 of them have been impeached. Its either there is something wrong with the selection process or they're all raving mad.

[MI5]

They are all crooks...