2024 budget: Dismiss Wike’s suggestion – SERAP tells Akpabio

The Senate President, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, has been urged by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to use his position of authority “to promptly reject the plan by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike to spend N15 billion for the construction of ‘a befitting residence’ for the Vice President, Mr. Kashim Shettima.”

Additionally, Akpabio was urged by SERAP to “assert Senate’s authority and constitutional oversight roles to reject the N2.8 billion on publicity for the FCTA and other proposed wasteful and unnecessary spending that may be contained in the 2023 supplemental budget and the 2024 budget proposed by President Bola Tinubu!”

“The plan to spend N15 billion on ‘a befitting residence’ for the vice president is a fundamental breach of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international anticorruption and human rights obligations,” the organisation stated in a letter dated December 2, 2023, and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare.

According to SERAP, the Senate is required by the Constitution to make sure that Mr. Wike’s proposed spending is fully compliant with all constitutional requirements, including his oath of office. The rule of law continues to apply to all public officials.

“The National Assembly, which includes the Senate, has a constitutional duty to address the nation’s debt crisis, including by refusing to support needless and wasteful spending that supports public officials’ personal comforts and lifestyles.”

“The National Assembly cannot continue to fail to fulfil its oversight function,” the group continued. By scrutinising and rejecting any needless and inefficient spending by the administration, the Senate must stand for and exhibit its independence.

“The Senate approving the plan to spend N15 billion on ‘a befitting residence’ for the vice president at a time when the Federal Government is set to spend 30% (i.e., N8.25 trillion) of the country’s 2024 budget of N27.5 trillion on debt service costs would be a grave breach of the public trust and the constitutional oath of office.

In order to finance the 2024 budget, the Federal Government also intends to borrow N7.8 trillion. As of June, 38% of Nigeria’s 87.4 trillion naira national debt was owing to foreign creditors, including commercial and multilateral lenders.

“SERAP would consider appropriate legal action to compel the National Assembly, including the Senate, to discharge its constitutional oversight roles in the public interest in the event that the Senate and its leadership fail to rein in government borrowing and cease wasteful and unnecessary spending.”

“SERAP requests that you report the claims of corruption regarding the use of the previously approved N7 billion for the building of the vice president’s new residence to the Independent Corrupt Practises and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“The ‘building’ was apparently abandoned, but it’s still unclear where the N7 billion went.

The Nigerian Senate possesses the constitutional authority and legitimacy to enforce adherence to both the nation’s foreign commitments and the Nigerian Constitution.

“With the government’s indiscriminate borrowing and the seemingly wasteful and unnecessary spending by Mr. Wike, the Senate should vigorously exercise its constitutional oversight roles and assert its authority.”

“Allowing the administration to utilise the national budget as a vehicle to fulfil the comfort and lifestyle of public officials is a disgrace and a basic breach of the lawmakers’ fiduciary duties,” stated the National Assembly.

Because public servants have a fiduciary duty to the general public, Nigerians have a right to honest and faithful performance from their MPs.

“As it would encourage effective, truthful, and lawful spending of public funds, cutting the N15 billion on ‘a befitting residence’ from the FTCA budget would be entirely consistent with your constitutional oath of office and the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution.

Our intelligence indicates that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and Minister of the FCT, Nysom Wike, intend to invest N15 billion in building “a befitting residence” for Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The proposal is part of the N67 billion FCT supplemental budget that President Bola Tinubu sent to the National Assembly for approval on Tuesday.

“SERAP notes that Mr. Wike proposed plan to spend N15 billion on a new residence for the vice president, even though the federal government’s supplemental budget, which was already approved by the National Assembly and signed by President Tinubu, recently allocated N2.5 billion for the renovation of the VP’s current residence.

According to reports, the decision to spend N15 billion on “a befitting residence” for the vice president has been authorised by the House of Representatives.

“An additional N3 billion has been allocated by the National Assembly for the refurbishment of the Vice President’s Lagos State mansion. Additionally, Mr. Wike intends to spend N2.8 billion promoting the FCTA.

“There is a difference between the N100 billion for the FCT included in the federal government supplemental budget and the proposed plan to spend 15 billion on ‘a befitting residence’ for the vice president.”