Assembly, Mark clear Etteh, deputy over alleged scam

From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh and John-Abba Ogbodo (Abuja) and Ralph Omololu Agbana (Lokoja)

WHEN the House of Representatives resumes tomorrow, it may no longer have to contend with conflicting figures on the sum spent on the official residence of its Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, and her deputy, Mr. Babangida Nguroje.

Contrary to allegations that the sum was N628 million, the National Assembly at the weekend said it was N579 million and that the contract was not for just renovation but "total upgrading" of the houses, which are a "cluster of structures."
Senate President David Mark, also at the weekend, described allegations of financial misconduct against the Speaker and her deputy as being without merit.

The spokesman of the House, Mr. Eziuche Ubani, had earlier put the figure at N238 million.

But the Director of Information in the National Assembly, Mr. Monima Daminabo at the weekend, said that the total cost of upgrading the Speaker's residence was N187 million. Other forms of expenditure on the house, however, include N40 million on security, N11 million for Value Added Tax (VAT) as well as furnishing and fittings, which, he said, cost N71 million.

The sum spent on the Deputy Speaker's residence, he continued, is N90 million for upgrading, N55 million for furnishing and fittings as well as N123 million for motor vehicles.

The grand total, Daminabo said, is N579 million, adding that the works done on the residence were "total upgrade" and not mere renovation.

He added that only the sum of N52 million representing 25 per cent of the contract sum had been paid so far to the contractor.

Daminabo gave the break down of the work being carried out at both residences as:

· Upgrade of a cluster of structures at Speaker's residence -N187,478,279;
· Security - N40,000,000;
· VAT - N11,373,913.25;
Sub total - N238,852,192.25;

· Furnishing and fittings in the cluster of structures at Speaker's residence - N71,895,000;
· Upgrade of cluster of structures at Deputy of Speaker's residence - N90,269,255.25;
· Furnishing and fittings in the cluster of structures at the Deputy Speaker's residence - N55,200,000;
· Motor vehicles - N123,600,000;
· Grand total - N579,216,417.50.

Insisting that due process was followed in the award of the contracts by the management, the Information Director said that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) had recommended that officers in the category of the Speaker and her Deputy be provided with office accommodation, furnishing and transport since they were not to be provided with allowances in respect of such facilities.

Daminabo said: "It must be acknowledged that these residences are national assets in their own right and as such they must be accorded their due precedence and associated security consideration. It is in the light of the foregoing therefore, that the National Assembly is embarking on the upgrade exercise."

He continued: "Under the Constitution, holders of the offices of the President, Vice President and Chief Justice of Nigeria as well as the presiding officers of the National Assembly, namely Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Honourable Speaker and Honourable Deputy Speaker, are to be remunerated as recommended by the RMFAC. The RMFAC provides that such officers are to be availed official accommodation, furnishing and transport by the government. Accordingly, they are not to be provided allowances in respect of such facilities."

He stated further: "Due process was followed at every stage in the award of the contracts. The Tender Notices for the projects were duly advertised through conspicuous display on the official notice boards throughout the National Assembly premises, as is the practice. The only disbursements made so far in respect of the contracts is 25 per cent mobilisation and to only one contractor."

The Director of Information said the contracts were within the capital votes for the National Assembly in the 2007 budget.
Daminabo said that it was not true that the National Assembly had gone to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to source for the funds and was turned back, pointing out that it only went to seek clearance for the structural aspects of the work.

Senate President Mark, yesterday, said that allegations of misappropriation of funds levelled against the Speaker lacked merit and did not follow a due process. The Senate President who made his views known during an interactive session with journalists in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, also frowned at the state of insecurity in Nigeria and warned that unless the country is reorganised, the fledgling democracy is in danger of instability.

Reacting to the crisis in the lower chamber, Mark said: "It is completely blown out of proportion. It is not (about) Patricia Etteh, it is (about) the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who is the number four person."

The Senate President continued: "Secondly, whatever renovation or upgrading that is done in that house is not done for Patricia Etteh, it is done for the Speaker of the House of Representatives, what is my position? "I strongly support her!"
He added: "There is a process for awarding contracts and once that process is followed, there is nothing to fault there. What is wrong about National Assembly awarding contracts? In the case of the Speaker, I would support her. I believe that the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) would stand by her.

"You don't just begin to condemn people and even in the process of saying so, it has to go through proper and due process. You don't just accuse somebody, then criminalise the person and make him or her look like a criminal, and a colleague for that matter. I don't think it is correct."
While advocating that the present administration take urgent steps to reorganise the police, Mark noted that there is growing feeling of insecurity among the citizenry, constituting a threat to stable democracy, because the police, the main plank of security, "has not done well".

His words: "The police hasn't done well at all and people are worried about their own security and if we don't get a good police, I am afraid it is going to be very, very difficult to stabilize democracy. There is no running away from that. Safety of lives and property is an integral part of democracy. If we cannot guarantee that we are safe, then how can we be talking of dividends of democracy?"

The sources said that the anti-Etteh group intensified their lobby at the weekend as several meetings were held at the Apo legislators' quarters to perfect strategies. A prominent member of the group, John Halims Agoda, told The Guardian that the issue was not of individuals but the integrity of the House and National Assembly. "What is at stake is the integrity of the institution and we are not talking about individuals. We are asking for an independent probe so that we can tell Nigerians the truth and nothing more", he said.

The chairman of the House Committee on Media and Publicity, Ubani, assured that contrary to the expectation of the opposition, the House would have a peaceful session tomorrow. "We will have a peaceful session and demonstrate to Nigerians that the legislature, particularly the House of Representatives, has come of age and that we are here to make a difference," he said.