Emergency: Northern senators tackle Jonathan over state funds

[Punch]

Northern Senators on Wednesday called on President Goodluck Jonathan not to tamper with the funds accruable to states and local governments which are under the emergency rule.

They stated this after an emergency meeting of the Northern Senators Forum to assess developments in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states with respect to the emergency rule.

Chairman of the forum, Senator Umaru Dahiru, while briefing journalists, said the forum was in concurrence with the resolutions reached on the floor of the Senate on the proclamation of the state of emergency in the three states.

He, however said the forum was concerned about the wellbeing of the people. They, therefore, called on the President not to touch the funds of the state or withhold any part of it.

He said, "As concerned senators from the northern end, we felt we should be monitoring from time to time what goes on and what goes out regarding the emergency, and it is in this regard that we decided to have a meeting today and reached these resolutions.

"The forum, after an exhaustive deliberation on the security  of the people of the affected states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, in particular, and Nigeria in general, the forum resolved and concurred with the resolution of the National Assembly that the statutory allocation of the affected states and local governments be paid in full as and when due and no part of it whatsoever should be withheld.

"Secondly, that the Federal Government should pay more attention to the humanitarian situation in the affected states by providing more humanitarian assistance.

"Thirdly, we want to assure the affected states and indeed the people in the area that we shall we shall always continue to pay attention to the security, welfare and livelihood at all times to the affected states, and indeed the whole country."

Expatiating on the resolution, the Deputy Leader of the Senate, Abdul Ningi, said the forum wanted to emphasise the resolutions of both chambers of the National Assembly on the emergency rule.

He said the resolution bordered on the fact that all the democratic institutions in the affected were not touched and that "no funds of the states and local governments is supposed to be touched because the states are already enmeshed in some financial difficulties.

He added, "Touching any of their monies will mean more difficulty on the part of the governments to run their states, and more difficulty for the people of the states and that is why we must send a clear signal to the Federal Government to concur with the resolution of the Senate."

He explained that the Senate, in the proclamation by the President, had the powers to give directives as to the spending of funds of the states and local governments, saying it did not translate to empowering the President to take the funds and use them.

A similar resolution had been passed at the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, the Senate has expressed its support for President Jonathan's designation of the Boko Haram sect as an international terrorist organisation, and the subsequent move of banning it.



The Punch