Ladies and gentlemen, and patriotic Nigerians please permit me to air my view on this issue of alleged omission of Lagos-Calabar rail line from the 2016 Appropriation bill(Budget) by members of the legislative arrm of government.
This issue has been trending across media space including Facebook, Twitter, Nairaland, Palmchat, etc

We all agree that since the budget was proposed by the president and submitted to the National Assembly, there has been one controversy or the other. The latest of the controversy being the omission of Lagos-Calabar rail line, which my piece is to dwell on.

THE ISSUE
When President Buhari presented his budget bwfore the National Assembly, there was no provision of Lagos-Calabar rail project but only Lagos-Kano rail project contained in it. The minister of transport, Hon Rotimi Amaechi during his budget defence tendered document for the Lagos-Calabar rail project to be captured in the 2016 budget before the Senate Committee on Land Transport (as confirmed by Sen Gbenga Ashafa), and to be funded with a floating N56billion. While the Senate Committee on Land Transport accepted the adjustment, and recommended same to the Appropriation counterpart, the project was however rejected by the Appropriation Committees of both the House and the Senate, as well as the whole National Assembly.

Without prejudice, I believe it is appropriate to give knocks and commendation to those worthy of it.

WORTHY OF KNOCKS
President Muhammadu Buhari
Firstly, it is inappropriate and amount to nullity for a minister to propose extraneous budget outside what has been submitted to the NASS. If President Buhari really wanted the project, all he had to do was to request for withdrawal of the budget before the House and submit an amended budget that would capture the project. If Buhari was sincere, he wouldn't have just captured a project that connects Lagos to Kano by rail without considering that of Lagos-Calabar that is of more economic benefit. Sincerely, Buhari wasn't really interested in the said project perhaps because it wasn't in the North.

Senate And House Committees on Appropriation:
Is it not hypocrisy that members of the Senate Committee led by Sen Danjuma Goje(Gombe state) and Hon Abdulmumin Jubrin(Kano) of the Senate and Reps respectively would see everything wrong in allocating a floating N56billion towards a rail project that would open up Lagos-Calabar, but saw nothing wrong in reallocating the said money into not-so-important projects? When did thd Appropriation Committee assume power to decide new projects for the executive? It is even more shameful that the vice Chairman of Senate committee on appropriation, Sunny Ogbuoji is a southerner from Ebonyi state. I tried to get the names of all committee members of both committees but was unsuccessful. One question these Appropriation Committees members need to answer is "would they have cancelled the addition by Amaechi if the project to be added was Lagos-Kano rail project?"

The National Assembly:
For the fact that the Appropriation committee would empower themselves the privilege of re assigning funds for not-too-important projects from the floating N56billion, nothing stops them from reassigning those funds to Lagos-Calabar rail project. It is a shame that the Senate and the House would agree to such a budget appropriation. Would members of both Houses okay it if the project in question was Lagos-Kano rail? A big shame and an indictment on Southern delegation in the NASS especially those from the South-South and South West that are supposed to be the beneficiary.

WORTHY OF COMMENDATION
Hon Rotimi Amaechi:
We must commend Hon Rotimi Amaechi for his bold step to find ways to inject the Lagos-Calabar rail project into the budget and also seek way to fund it without going beyond his ministry's allocation. I am no fan of Rotimi Amaechi but he deserves credit and not knocks. Those calling for his resignation over this issue should hide their faces in shame.

Sen Gbenga Ashafa and Senate Land Transport Commitee:
Also worthy of commendation is Senator Ashafa and his team although it would have been more appropriate for Ashafa Committee to advice Amaechi of the nullity of his proposal to smuggle in a project in the eyes of the law.


The Way Forward:
It will amount to injustice for Mr President to append his signature into that thrash paper called Budget of 2016. The proper thing to do now is for the President to veto the budget and submit a new document or amendment document to capture the Lagos-Calabar rail project. This blame game is diversionary and we will not be distracted by the antics of enemies of the South and the country as a whole.




May God Bless Us All and Bless Nigeria...

Sincerely, Buhari wasn't really interested in the said project perhaps because it wasn't in the North.

I was about to get on my soap box & fire some sly digs but the captioned below caught my eye & I sheathed my sword!!

We have to be united in this "fight"

This blame game is diversionary and we will not be distracted by the antics of enemies of the South and the country as a whole.

Jibrin & Goje didn't see anything wrong in unilaterally appropriating scarce resources for Keke Marwa purchases & inclusion of 30 states (not even federal) roads without widespread consultation...

I'm still asking won't stop cos everyone is "hiding their heads in the sand"; how did our southern unpatriotic & selfish NASS members allow both Upper & Lower Appropriation chairs from same "place"?? How?

Was it part of their deal with Saraki & Dogara?

Apart from their dignity, did they also pawn off their sense of responsibility & belonging too? SMH!!

Popcorns are normally fried in the same pot, in the same oil, at the same time and under the same heat conditions. But they do not all pop at the same time. When flood comes, fish eat ants. When flood recedes, ants eat fish. Only time matters. To make soap, oil is required. But to clean oil, soap is required. This is the irony of life. Everybody needs somebody at any one point in time. Do not despise or treat anyone with scorn when they are excelling or failing more than you. There is time for EVERYTHING and for EVERYONE. Keep TRUSTING in God and WAITING for your turn. Your time to POP will come at God's appointed time. NEVER GIVE UP .

Another meaningless and useless post from a man who don't know what dey call "DIGNITY".

What have gathered thus far on this controversial issue,The Rail contract was included by the ministry of transportation but listed out in error by the budget office which Amaechi(As the head)was quickly to combat and requested for a supplementary by the backing from the executives and he even went all the way to formally inform the Senate chairman(Ashafa)

Beeman1:
Another meaningless and useless post from a man who don't know what dey called "DIGNITY".

Are you mentally stable?

@ Tonye Barcanista thank you your partly objective write up. Even though your partisanship prevented you from being 100% objective

I dont know why you ignore Niger delta senators and house of rep members in your knock list. I blame our Niger Delta Senators the most in this saga. They are even more guilty than the appropriation committee. The role of senators is to represent thier region and constituency in national discuss. For something as important as Budget, our senators were suppose to take it very seriously. They were suppose to be up and doing in looking at the Budget b4 them and how it affects the people they represent. It is even thier job to lobby the NASS to add things that were not in the budget
that will benefit thier region. NASS has constitutional power to add and to remove items in the Budget. But it is the role of our Senators and house of rep members from Niger Delta to ensure this power of NASS is used to our favour and not against us.

Actually, what the Northern senators did could be seen as people doing their true Job as senators. which is to represent the interest of thier region. they saw a loophole knowing fully well the senators representing us are docile, they took full advantage of it.

However, I dont think the floating 54billion naira is an accident in Ministry of Transportation budget. The money is too close to what is needed for lagos-calabar rail to be by accident. I think the Calabar - lagos rail was already planned to be in the budget submitted to the NASS. But was mistakenly absent as item but was present in the total sum.

There is no way Rotimi Amaechi will be defending that project before the Senate without full Buhari approval. Also if the project was not very important to the president, I dont see how the president will delay his assent to a budget because of an Item he doesnt care about. However for the initial omission, the presidency deserve some blame. But atleast they tried to remedy it.






addition from a nairalander

mapet:


In addition, aside from the limited objectivity on TonyeBarcanista's part, some facts are sacred and have been twisted
1. The Erroenours (call it padded) was withdrawn, corrections (ammendements) made. These ammendments were sent by the budget office to the various committees. This was based on the agreement between the joint house and the presidency. The Budget Office has released a statement confirming that Cal-Lag rail line was part of the ammendment it sent to the committee on transport and committee on appropriation.
2. Amaechi when defending the budget to both committees highlighted to those ammendments. He specifically mentioned the Cal-Lag rail lines, state specifically the routes

From the above, Goje and Jibrin reference to the original budget is not only disingenous, but in bad faith. I shudder to ask, why is Goje and Jibrin, trying to hide under the "padded-budget" excuse? Are the two telling us that they were not aware of the ammendments? when Amaechi presented it at the committees, did they raise any objection? why didn't they say ahead that they were not going to recongnise the ammendments

Also, it shows that most of the Senators and HOReps were oblivious of the details of the budget and worse still were unconcerned. Imagine, Ben Bruce's excuse was to refer to a tweet by budgetIT? All the Senators whose constituencies are along the Cal-Lag route did not even offer any form of assistance or resistance. The presidency had taken its blame on the padded budget, but this time the presidency has no blame. Why the Jibrin and Goje send the budget to the presidency without sharing it with their colleagues in the committee, then later appologise to them with the excuse of time constraints? why did Jibrin send text, alerting his committee members to be ready in anticipation of PMB's refusal to sign the budget, to be ready to resist the FG.......

I can't even imagine why anybody will see altruistic intent in Goje's and Jibrin's version of the budget. How they conveniently rerouted the claimed N57b to useless and senseless projects in the North (Keke Napep, Vaccines, Solar Street lights etc), the normal route to fleece funds out unchecked.

I am no fan of Rotimi Amaechi but he deserves credit and not knocks. Those calling for his resignation over this issue should hide their faces in shame.


straight and forward. Thanks for voicing it out bro.

teadrake:
What have gathered thus far on this controversial issue,The Rail contract was included by the ministry of transportation but listed out in error by the budget office which Amaechi(As the head)was quickly to combat and requested for a supplementary by the backing from the executives and he even went all the way to formally inform the Senate chairman(Ashafa)

There is no record to show that the project was "originally' budgeted for. Instead, record shows that the step by Amaechi was a after thought. If Buhari was sincere he would have formally requested that the project be added and the process was not through Ashafa.

TonyeBarcanista:

Are you mentally stable?

retract your words bro. allow people to say whatever they wanna say to thee on nairaland. Will they say it to your face? The guy is entitled to his own opinion.

TonyeBarcanista:

Are you mentally stable?

My dear, they know all this. they will clutch at straws and technicalities to defend their position. Amechi has shown once again that he will not play with his people even if some of them see him as an enemy and a betrayal. He is a man of conviction.

teadrake:
What have gathered thus far on this controversial issue,The Rail contract was included by the ministry of transportation but listed out in error by the budget office which Amaechi(As the head)was quickly to combat and requested for a supplementary by the backing from the executives and he even went all the way to formally inform the Senate chairman(Ashafa)

Cc: lalasticlala, make this food no cold o . Front page worthy.

@ TONYE , WELL SAID. AN UNBIASED POST.

TonyeBarcanista:

Are you mentally stable?

If u like insult or curse me na u sabi. What I said is the bitter truth,no one takes u or your analysis serious anymore cause I never see anyone in my entire life who has no single dignity like you. Nothing personal O.

Nice Writeup Tonyebarcanista...

Sincerely I must say the southerners are the most greedy, Mischievous, Narcissistic and selfish politicians in Nigeria..

When it comes to a developmental project in the North the northerners forget about their different party affiliation to make sure such a project is carried out successfully in the North, but our southern politician so thrive on personal interest

I think there are people out there doing their utmost to undermine the efforts of the government of the day.

Buhari made an amateur mistake by giving the fraudulent NASS the chance to pick loopholes in his budget, it is almost as if he is finding difficult to function in democratic setting.
He should better sit up, we can't afford him learning on the job; we need experience more than ever now.

Dis ijaw igbo man must always look for any sort of opportunity to wail! As soon as I saw buharis name in the mini epistle as the 1st person to receive knocks and some claims of bias as regards to south south projects at the tail end? I just knew where dis guy dey waka go as usual!


And why are there no knocks for your _stupid south south politicians who are busy watching as their regions projects are relegated to the background by other regions members with little or no protests from them? Or are they witing till xmas to fight for your rights? Or are they only in abuja to womanise, loot and drink? Ponce!!!













**exhales marijuana all over the o.p's face**

Zombies should console themselves with this piece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN2286rieIw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

If these politicians would put more time towards doing work and attending less social events, they'll get a lot more done... I'm talking about both sides, government and opposition. The reason we're witnessing all these disorganization is because they don't pay attention to detail and due diligence...

Emekamex:
Buhari made an amateur mistake by giving the fraudulent NASS the chance to pick loopholes in his budget, it is almost as if he is finding difficult to function in democratic setting.
He should better sit up, we can't afford him learning on the job; we need experience more than ever now.

and who are the experience sir?.

Beeman1:
If u like insult or curse me na u sabi. What I said is the bitter truth,no one takes u or your analysis serious anymore cause I never see anyone in my entire life who has no single dignity like you. Nothing personal O.

Apologies if you feel insulted. I only asked a question.

DONSMITH123:



and who are the experience sir?.

I am referring to Buhari, he is acting like a newbie in Nigerian politics whereas he has been Head of State before and has contested four elections yet he continues to make basic mistakes since his inception as president.

TonyeBarcanista:
Apologies if you feel insulted. I only asked a question.

like I said earlier,nothing personal. Cheers!

TonyeBarcanista:
Apologies if you feel insulted. I only asked a question.

This is one thing we always have back & forth about, don't moderate your own thread, let it be organic... respond to questions posed or clarify knotty issues when needed... don't spend valuable space & time "clapping back"!

Welcome EVERY opinion, good or bad!! Pius Adesanmi's Posts get both adulation & condemnations but he doesn't allow it derail his course from what he loves.

My 2k!! Peace out..

TonyeBarcanista:
There is no record to show that the project was "originally' budgeted for. Instead, record shows that the step by Amaechi was a after thought. If Buhari was sincere he would have formally requested that the project be added and the process was not through Ashafa.

@ Tonye Barcanista thank you your partly objective write up with some partisanship.

I dont know why you ignore Niger delta senators and house of rep members in your knock list. I blame our Niger Delta Senators the most in this saga. They are even more guilty than the appropriation committee. The role of senators is to represent thier region and constituency in national discuss. For something as important as Budget, our senators were suppose to take it very seriously. They were suppose to be up and doing in looking at the Budget b4 them and how it affects the people they represent. It is even thier job to lobby the NASS to add things that were not in the budget
that will benefit thier region. NASS has constitutional power to add and to remove items in the Budget. But it is the role of our Senators and house of rep members from Niger Delta to ensure this power of NASS is used to our favour and not against us.

Actually, what the Northern senators did could be seen as people doing their true Job as senators. which is to represent the interest of thier region. they saw a loophole knowing fully well the senators representing us are docile, they took full advantage of it.

However, I dont think the floating 54billion naira is an accident in Ministry of Transportation budget. The money is too close to what is needed for lagos-calabar rail to be by accident. I think the Calabar - lagos rail was already planned to be in the budget submitted to the NASS. But was mistakenly absent as item but was present in the total sum.

There is no way Rotimi Amaechi will be defending that project before the Senate without full Buhari approval. Also if the project was not very important to the president, I dont see how the president will delay his assent to a budget because of an Item he doesnt care about. However for the initial omission, the presidency deserve some blame. But atleast they tried to remedy it.

TonyeBarcanista:
There is no record to show that the project was "originally' budgeted for. Instead, record shows that the step by Amaechi was a after thought. If Buhari was sincere he would have formally requested that the project be added and the process was not through Ashafa.

I totally disagree with you here.
You claimed the project was not originally included,any substantial prove on that?No!!Only media gesture.
As I learnt one of the core issues that resulted to PMB trip to China is this rail contract and handling.
Secondly,you claimed PMB was not sincere?In what context exactly?So,the provision of supplementary which Amaechi submitted was directly not assented by the President?

tuale4u:


@ Tonye Barcanista thank you your objective write up.

NASS has constitutional power to add and to remove items........ . The money is too close to what is needed for lagos-calabar rail to be by accident. I think the Calabar - lagos rail was already planned to be in the budget submitted to the NASS. But was mistakenly absent as item but was present in the total sum.

Jibrin & co knew there was no "floating" nothing, he & his bros in the senate only played a fast one since they know we won't even come together to fight as one voice..

There is no way Rotimi Amaechi will be defending that project before the Senate without full Buhari approval. Also if the project was not very important to the president, I dont see how the president will delay his assent to a budget because of an Item he doesnt care about. However for the initial omission, the presidency deserve some blame. But atleast they tried to remedy it.

Truth be told "Bubu Bungled Budget" , but we'd excuse it as beginner's error, Next one, we trust, due diligence would b done....

The people that deserve knocks are the PDP and APC members whose states the proposed Calabar-Lagos railway passes. Those to receive much of the knocks are members of both the Senate and House of Representatives' committees on appropriation.

modath:




I was about to get on my soap box & fire some sly digs but the captioned below caught my eye & I sheathed my sword!!

We have to be united in this "fight"



Jibrin & Goje didn't see anything wrong in unilaterally appropriating scarce resources for Keke Marwa purchases & inclusion of 30 states (not even federal) roads without widespread consultation...

I'm still asking won't stop cos everyone is "hiding their heads in the sand"; how did our southern unpatriotic & selfish NASS members allow both Upper & Lower Appropriation chairs from same "place"?? How?

Was it part of their deal with Saraki & Dogara?

Apart from their dignity, did they also pawn off their sense of responsibility & belonging too? SMH!!

You have summed it. Our legislative representatives have been so myopic. They couldn't even take advantage of the Ashafa leverage. Once again the Northern guys exposed them.


I still don't understand why the North should be getting appropriation committee chairmanships almost all the time

Bravo,this was supposed to be the catch.Create a confusion among them to occupy them with it.Pitch members of the house among themselves and the people against the representatives at the national assembly.Why the sufferings of no light,no fuel will be forgoting.That not withstanding,the incompetence of this adminstraction stings.
What border me most is abinito non inclusion of the Lagos-calabar rail line project even when there was opportunity to include it after the dissapperance of the budget.GEJ had these projects in mind before leaving office.So the idea was at the public domain waiting to be utilized.That of Lagos-kano was not forgoting in error but Lagos-calabar was hurriedly omitted in error.
Somebody must be blamed for every executive nonchalant,incompetence,lack of direction and,adminstractive inadequacies.
The national assembly members from the south-south and south-east are supposed to box their northern counterpart to make them include the rail project that was abinitio not included into the budget.The south west wouldn't benefit from the project thus are absolved of their involvement in the struggle for the coastal rail project.By extention,the south west suppose to have a dual benefit from the projects.since it will linked their region to the north (Lagos-kano rail line) and the south south and south east.(Lagos-calabar rail line)
When we learn to stand up and face the Dragon confronting us.Then we will learn to be liberated from this CHAIN adminstraction.
The southern part of this geographical entity call Nigeria are the worst hit by this divisive tendency of the northerners.This is a deliberate attempt to continue to Lord over them. (the southerners )