$1BN BOKO HARAM FUND: Saraki’s men, South South senators plot showdown

Plans by President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to withdraw $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to fund Boko Haram insurgency fight in the North East, may face a fresh setback when senators resume next week Tuesday.

Ripples Nigeria reliably gathered from multiple sources that foot soldiers of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, are mobilising to move against the plan.

Already, one of his loyalists, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who heads Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions committee, has met with key vocal lawmakers from the South South and other oil producing states in Ondo and some parts of the South East.

A pointer to what is to come, played out on the 20th of December, 2017, when Senator Anyanwu moved a motion and condemned the planned withdrawal of the $1 billion.

The substantive motion was to be sponsored on Thursday, December 21st, 2017. Curiously, Anyanwu was absent from the Senate floor.

Saraki who presided however passed a strong message in a subtle way that the Federal Government will not spend the proposed $1 billion without an approval by the National Assembly.

Read also: 2019: In growing Northern opposition, another group asks Buhari not to contest

Saraki had noted: “This matter should have come up on Wednesday, 20th of December, 2017, but Senator Sam Anyanwu was not able to present his paper. He sought for more time and I agreed with him that it will be taken care of in the next legislative day.

“No, no, no, no. As you can see he is not here. And unfortunately, we have put it down. (Murmur from senators). Our next legislative day is…. When we resume, it will be the first item on the Order Paper (more jeers from Senators).

“He (Anyanwu) is not here. We cannot take it when the person who moved it is not here. And it is a very important motion that needs to be delivered very well. It cannot be delegated.

“We are pushing for the next legislative day but we will take it. I can assure you that we will take it. I give you assurance that we will take it (jeers from PDP Senators continued).

Realising that Senators were insisting, Saraki added: “No no, no, no, no. Our party does not do things like that. We will not spend money that does not follow due process. I am assuring you that that money will not be spent until we come back here and debate it.”

When lawmakers resume next week, those from oil-producing states will kick against the planned withdrawal. If things work according to plans, they are expected to equally ask that the President approves a similar sum to clean up affected areas in the Niger Delta region.

Saraki’s men, who are expected to lead from behind, will also follow suit and ask that the release be suspended since there is already a huge provision for insurgency in the 2018 budget.

It is still unclear if senators from the North, predominantly from the North East will hold their caucus meeting ahead of resumption date to plan a counter attack.

 

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