Mark,Ribadu in war of words over National Assembly budget

Firstclass newsline learnt that former Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu and the outgoing Senate
President, David Mark, on Monday disagreed on the need for National
Assembly to cut its budget in line with the current economic realities
in the country.
They spoke at a retreat organised for the Peoples Democratic Party
National Assembly members-elect in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
Ribadu had stirred up a hornet's nest by calling on the
lawmakers-elect to make their monthly salaries public and also cut
their budgets. His call immediately attracted side talks by the
participants which included governors and the leadership of the PDP.
Obviously aware that his advice was not being welcomed by majority of
the lawmakers-elect, the former anti-corruption czar, reminded them
that they would be going to the National Assembly as the minority.
He said that Nigerians would not support the PDP if they (Nigerians)
did not know what was earmarked for the National Assembly and how much
a senator or a House of Representatives member earns.
Ribadu, who was the PDP's Adamawa State governorship candidate for the
March 28 election, pointed out that patriotism and quality
contributions by members of the PDP in the National Assembly would go
a long way in reinventing and preparing the party for a successful
comeback in future elections.
He said, "If Nigerians do not know how much is earmarked for the
National Assembly or how much money a senator earns, they will not
support you. We must understand the pulse or the mood of the nation.
"The first step, therefore, is to open up the National Assembly by
ensuring transparency. Public office is what it is; public. Also, at
this critical time of austerity, be champions by slashing your own
budget.
"My very good friend, Ben Bruce (a senator-elect) has already spoken
about this. There are many others already saying it. For you to
excel, you must put in extra effort than your colleagues in other
parties."
He stressed that the PDP lawmakers-elect must not only be champions
of probity and discipline, they must wage war against corruption in
the system and ensure strict compliance with appropriation as well as
due process.
Ribadu added, "As legislators, you will be going to the National
Assembly as the minority. There is a sense of personal loss no
doubt; but there are good opportunities for all and democratic
practice in Nigeria.
"Your patriotism and quality contributions as members of the National
Assembly will go a long way in reinventing our party and preparing
it for a successful comeback in subsequent elections.
"You must demonstrate personal will and commitment towards being above
board if you really want to checkmate others. The first charge for you
is to be champions of probity in the workings of the National Assembly
as well as the Legislature-Executive relations."
But Mark, who showed his dissatisfaction with Ribadu's charge,
wondered why "every time, people will talk about National Assembly
budget."
Explaining that the budget of the Assembly had always been in
public domain, the outgoing President of the Senate argued that
Senators and House of Representatives members had always made
sacrifices in line with the nation's economic realities.
"Every time, people will talk about National Assembly budget; for
Heaven's sake, unless you would say you have never seen the national
budget, it is a public document. The National Assembly budget is there
with every other budget," he stated in an angry tone.
Mark,who added that the National Assembly members " were the first to
make a cut in 2015 budget," said that " people should appreciate what
we are doing and not to come and give an impression that our budget is
bloated while every other person had made a cut."
He stated further, "We are trying our best more than any ministry
today. I can put my hand on my chest without fear of contradiction at
all and say we made a lot of sacrifices in our budgeting system.
"Our budget is open; what we earn as National Assembly members is
open. If anybody wants to receive his salary and donate it, he is free
to do so. He does not need to consult us. I think we should not play
politics with what is a very serious issue. Our budget is in the open
and everybody can see it."
Mark however charged the PDP lawmakers-elect and other PDP members
to always speak in one voice.
He said, "We must subject our individual interest for our group
interest. In the election of principal officers of National Assembly,
we must vote in one accord. We must know that united we stand, divided
we fall.
"We must take our destinies in our hands. We must be ready to provide
credible, vibrant, determined and focused opposition to the party in
power in a manner that would guarantee development and good
governance.
"In doing so, we must maintain a strong synergy between our members in
the National Assembly and the National Working Committee. The PDP is
still a brand all Nigerians know. We just need to reinvent the wheels
and move forward."
He decried the spate of defections from the PDP to the All
Progressives Congress after the elections and appealed to those
remaining to be steadfast with the ideology of the party.
In his keynote address , Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu
maintained that playing the role of the opposition was not a death
sentence, but a soul searching for the way out of the predicament.
Ekweremadu stated that the PDP stood a great chance of regaining power
in 2019 should its members put their house in order.
He added that the governors elected on the platform of the PDP were
expected to play a major role in restoring the party's fortunes.
Ekweremadu said, "May I also remind you that you have a big role to
play in restoring the political fortunes of the PDP because PDP
governed-states will now be the major yardsticks for evaluating our
performance in the next four years.
"I call on you to demonstrate unbeatable and undisputable capacity for
good governance such as would stand the PDP-governed states out as
models in uncommon transformation and actualisation of all the
blessings and promises that democracy holds."
Earlier, Governors of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, Seriake Dickson of
Bayelsa; and other governors, who were elected on the platform of the
PDP gave various strategies on how the party could regain power at
the centre in 2019.
Firstclassnewsline.net