{"id":4157,"date":"2017-08-01T22:49:07","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T22:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=4157"},"modified":"2017-08-01T22:49:07","modified_gmt":"2017-08-01T22:49:07","slug":"i-stopped-collecting-pension-and-why-we-rejected-magu-by-saraki","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=4157","title":{"rendered":"I stopped collecting pension and why we rejected Magu, by Saraki"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stories courtesy\u00a0www.nan.ng<\/strong>
\nBy Naomi Sharang<\/strong>
\nThe President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said he had stopped collecting pension in Kwara state, where he was the governor between 2003 and 2011.
\nHe said, on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, that he wrote a letter to the state government to stop the payment of the pension.
\nAccording to Saraki, the move was sequel to complaints from some quarters that former governors who are currently senators or ministers were receiving pension and salary in their new jobs, all from the government.
\nA civil society organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), had accused the former governors of receiving double pay from government, and said it was illegal.
\n\u201cNo, I\u2019m not collecting pension; the moment I saw that allegation, I wrote to my state to stop my pension.
\n\u201cSo, I speak for myself on that part; I\u2019m not doing that, I am not receiving pension from my state,\u2019\u2019 he said.
\nOn other senators involved on the issue, Saraki said \u201cI think I will leave everybody to their individual decision.
\n\u201cMorally, if you have got another job, you should give it up until when you are truly a pensioner.
\n\u201cSome of these oversights are not addressing the issues. What the states should do is to go and amend their laws to say that if you have another appointment then you are not entitled to that benefit.
\n\u201cWith this, we will just simplify the matter.\u201d
\nOn the role of Bank of Infrastructure in the country, Saraki said that the Senate had not had any serious interface with the bank, but that it was involved in some projects.
\n\u201cWe are not engaging with them particularly. I think that they were part of those involved in the Lagos-Ibadan road. But, I don\u2019t think government should really put funds into that.
\n\u201cI have this strong view and I feel very strongly about it, that nowhere in the world has government funded infrastructure.
\n\u201cGovernment cannot, and even if government can fund infrastructure projects, the social sector will suffer \u2013 health will suffer and education will suffer.\u2019\u2019
\nHe said there were a lot of complaints that budgetary allocation to health and education was too low, attributing it to the fact that much money was being invested in infrastructure development.
\nSaraki explained that due to the challenges, the National Assembly had passed Bills that would encourage private sector participation in infrastructure development.
\n\u201cWhat should happen is that we should try and get private sector to take over some of these infrastructure so that the money can go into education and health.
\n\u201cBy doing that, banks like Bank of infrastructure will come in.
\n\u201cWe are really pushing the idea of, particularly, the Lagos-Ibadan road, that appropriating that project from the budget does not show seriousness.
\n\u201cThis is a road that is very viable; that is centre of the commercial activity and we should see how private sector can participate.
\n\u201cFor example, even if you go by the budgetary allocation on that road, last year was N30 billion, this year, after back and forth, we took it back to N20 billion.
\n\u201cThis was done so that if they don\u2019t find private funding, we will take it up,\u2019\u2019 he said.
\nAccording to him, even if the N30 billion was provided, it will not be enough because that road needs about N100 billion to be completed.
\n\u201cSo, the point I\u2019m making which I want to emphasise is that it is the kind of laws and policies that we pass that will encourage private sector that will make the infrastructure deficit to reduce.
\n\u201cGovernment alone cannot reduce infrastructure deficit,\u201d Saraki said.
\nHe confirmed that the senators had fulfilled their October, 2016 pledge to contribute N300, 000 each to support Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East.
\nHe said that the senate would continue to tackle humanitarian crisis in the North-East through budgetary appropriations.
\n\u201cI think that to the best of my knowledge, that is happening but it goes beyond just that. I think that we have shown that we will continue to support in form of appropriation of adequate money.
\n\u201cAs you saw just last week, we also approved some foreign loan that will go toward supporting activities in the North-East as palliative means to fight humanitarian crisis.
\n\u201cWe are close to about 800 million dollars we approved for the executive from that point of view.
\n\u201cWe are always ready to support our men and women in uniform to ensure that whatever they required was provided,\u201d Saraki said.
\nHe added that the lawmakers had been meeting with a lot of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to provide support to the North-East.
\n\u201cWe are looking at the possibility of what we can do to create more incentives for Nigerians.
\n\u201cWe are approaching individuals and companies to make more donations and see what kind of concessions they can get for the kind of donations they are making in the North-East,\u201d he said.
\n__________________________________________<\/strong>
\nBy Cecilia Ijuo<\/strong>
\nPresident of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said contrary to insinuations, the Senate had no premeditated plan to reject Mr Ibrahim Magu as chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
\nSaraki said while featuring on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja that the screening of Magu, which led to his rejection, was transparently done.
\nAccording to him, Magu\u2019s rejection was prompted by report from the Department of State Services (DSS), among other issues, and the screening was aired \u201clive\u2019\u2019 on national television for all Nigerians to watch.
\n\u201cI think there is a lot of misunderstanding and blackmail and all is not in the interest of democracy.
\n\u201cThe rejection of candidates presented to the National Assembly is a process. It is a process that is not restricted to the EFCC chairman.
\n\u201cIt is a process that has to do with the Governor of Central Bank, Director-General of Lottery Commission, Electricity Regulatory Commission and other relevant agencies.
\n\u201cWe have approved many people from the executive and we have rejected some and when we reject them, it is not for any personal reason, because it is a process.
\n\u201cMagu\u2019s screening was on a Wednesday when we air plenary `live\u2019. That is to show you how transparent the Senate was on Magu\u2019s confirmation.
\n\u201cWe screened him on a Wednesday so that all Nigerians can watch,\u2019\u2019 he said.
\nSaraki maintained that the decision of the Senate to reject the confirmation of Magu was in the interest of democracy.
\nHe added that the decision was based on a test which he failed, adding that if the senate had disregarded the DSS report and went ahead to confirm Magu, posterity would judge the members.
\n\u201cThis is about an institution; let us say you are screening the Governor of Central Bank and EFCC reports that the man lacks integrity and that he is not honest, will you just discard that.
\n\u201cEven if you do, years later you are weakening that institution.
\n\u201cWe should stop talking about personalities. We should be focusing on how to strengthen our democracy.
\n\u201cWhen some people have particular interest, they will try and bring this down to individuals. There is nothing personal on the personality of the acting Chairman of EFCC.
\n\u201cAs an individual, I have had a personal experience with Magu, where he stood up for what is right.
\n\u201cI remember during the former President Goodluck Jonathan\u2019s administration, where because we were fighting some of the issues then, some of us were sent to the EFCC.
\n\u201cI remember I was sent to Magu\u2019s office. They were trying to get him to investigate something of 10 years, 12 years ago; I remember Magu said nobody was going to use him,\u2019\u2019 he said.
\nOn allegations that Magu\u2019s confirmation was stalled for fear that senators may be prosecuted by him, Saraki said it was far from the truth.
\nHe pointed out that the fear that some of the former governors who had cases to answer may have contributed to the rejection was unfounded.
\nAccording to him, some of the former governors already had cases before the courts, and Magu, even if he was confirmed, couldn\u2019t have gone to the courts to withdraw the cases.
\nHe described the allegation as cheap blackmail, and said that Nigerians had to decide whether or not they wanted to strengthen the National Assembly as an institution.
\nThe president of the senate said that going by democratic practice, there was a need for checks and balances, adding that the parliament had the power to confirm or not to confirm nominees.
\n\u201cThe days I confirm I don\u2019t commit a crime, but the day I don\u2019t confirm, all hell will break loose.
\n\u201cIt is very unfortunate. When people say we don\u2019t want to fight corruption, does fighting corruption start and end with an individual? It doesn\u2019t.
\n\u201cWe have played our role. We will leave posterity to judge us.
\n\u201cIt was aired \u201clive\u2019\u2019. It wasn\u2019t that we did it at night or in a close-door and then announced the result to the public.
\n\u201cThey saw it. You can ask them if it looked as if this gentleman was not given fair hearing or something.
\n\u201cOur argument is, today it is Magu, and tomorrow it could be a president.
\n\u201cToday we have an honest transparent president, tomorrow we could have a corrupt and dishonest president, who brings his best man to be the governor of Central Bank and together they want to connive and steal money.
\n\u201cWhen the name is taken to senate and senate rejects it, the president will say, `my friend, continue\u2019.
\n\u201cSo it is about systems and processes. Whether you like Saraki or you don\u2019t like Ekweremadu, it is not about us. By the end of our tenure we will go. It is about the institution,\u2019\u2019 he said.
\nSaraki further said \u201cwe cannot belittle or weaken the institution because it is that institution that separates democracy from dictatorship.
\n\u201cWhen you weaken the parliament, you have weakened democracy.
\n\u201cIf you think by so doing you are weakening Saraki, you are not, it is the institution.\u2019\u2019
\nHe said that the hatred for the parliament was fuelled by some people with vested interest in what they could benefit, while pretending to be fighting for the system.
\nSaraki, however, assured that the 8th senate would not be distracted by anyone or issue, adding that the chamber had passed no fewer than four anti-corruption bills to support the government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stories courtesy\u00a0www.nan.ng By Naomi Sharang The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said he had stopped collecting pension in Kwara state, where he was the governor between 2003 and 2011. He said, on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, that he wrote a letter to the state government to stop the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4157"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4157\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}