In life, there are times when silence is golden. At such times, a man is not required to talk much because under tension, he could be misread and what you say can be used against you!
This was exactly what played out on the floor of the Edo State House of Assembly on Thursday, March 19, when the Committee of the whole House considered and passed the State 2009 Appropriation Bill into law.
The provision for State Security in the budget generated much tension that at some point it looked like it was going to be impossible for the House to agree and pass the budget.
In the budget estimates, Governor Adams Oshiomhole had proposed the sum of N3 billion for State Security but when the House Appropriation Committee headed by Hon. Chris Umogbai (Etsako Central) turned in its report, it pruned the estimate down to N500 million.
In defending the recommendation of his committee, Hon. Umogbai said the amount was sufficient because it was meant for recurrent expenditure and that another sum of over N200 million has been provided in the budget for the purchase of security hardwares. He explained that the Governor had said in past that he would not need much money as Security vote.
Attempts by some Action Congress (AC) members such as Hon. Philip Shiabu (Etsako West), Hon. Peter Aliu (Etsako East) and Hon. Etinosa Ogbeiwi (Orhionmwon II) to convince the House to allow the Security Votes to remain N3 billion was rebuffed. Hon. Shiabu who particularly drew attention to the fact that the same House of Assembly earlier approved N4billion security votes for former Governor Oserheimen Osunbor, pleaded with his colleagues in vain to peg the amount at N2.5 billion.
The effort of the AC members was rubbished by another AC member, Hon. Bright Osayande (Ovia North-West II) who is Chairman, House Committee on Security. He showed ignorance about the existence of State Security Committee, saying that as chairman of House Committee on Security, he has never been invited to attend the meeting of the State Security Committee any day.
Member after member while debating the issue, gave reason why the money should be left at N500 million, but the final nail which sealed the argument was driven by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Zakawanu Garuba, who while referring to Governor Oshiomhole's interview published in Daily Sun, quoted the Governor as saying that he did not need more than five percent of Osunbor's security votes as his security votes.
As if seeking a corroboration, he asked: "Is the Sum man here?"
Following tension over the date on the security votes, some AC members walked out of the House. Consequently, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Garuba threatened that any member that walks out would have his Constituency sub-head provision deleted from the budget.
He described those who walked out as "executive members in legislature".
After the speaker put the question to vote, those in support of N500 million security votes carried the day without a single vote against.
At this stage, AC members started moving around the Assembly Chambers apparently in protest, whilst also consulting themselves, but it was of no effect.
In the end, Governor Oshiomhole's earlier utterance that he would not require so much money as security votes, worked against him.