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Budget Padding: NEFGAD Threatens Court Action, Says it’s a Grave Procurement Infraction
Budget Padding: NEFGAD Threatens Court Action, Says it’s a Grave Procurement Infraction
By: Michael Mike
The Network for the Actualization of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD) a public procurement advocacy group has issued pre-action notice to the Federal Government and National Assembly over issue of Budget interference by the National Assembly.
The group made this known in a letter signed by its head of office, Mr Akingunola Omoniyi and sent to President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas.
Omoniyi argued that projects initiation by lawmakers is beyond the legislative powers of the National Assembly as outlined in the Nigerian constitution and the Public Procurement Act 2007.
He said that: ‘’The power to initiate any procurement proceeding is purely an executive function and lays with procuring entities/ministerial and extra-ministerial procurement committees and such must be conducted strictly in line with section 18 (a, b, c d, e, f and g) of the Public Procurement Act 2007 which mandates procuring entities to engage in planning of procurement in order to prepare the needs assessment and evaluation; identifying the goods/works or services required; carrying appropriate market and statistical surveys; and on the basis prepare an analysis of the cost implications of the proposed procurement; aggregate its requirements wherever possible/both within the procuring entities to obtain economy of scale to reduce procurement cost; and ensuring that the procurement entity functions as stipulated to be carried out by the procurement planning committee’’.
Mr Omoniyi stressed that ‘’the spirit and letter of the Public Procurement Act underscores the need to organize public procurement in a manner that ensures economy of scale, guide against undue interference and by ensuring that the process maintain high level of proven system scrutiny and integrity. Hence, any project/procurement item that does not satisfy legally outlined planning and organizational criteria (as in the case of constituency projects which are inserted midway into public procurement proceeding by the National Assembly) is utterly defective’’
He frowned at the usual practice of the National Assembly to upwardly/downwardly review budget estimates during Budget presentations/defense saying it is improper and unlawful, being that the appropriation bill is an executive bill and all procurement items are assumed to have passed through due and highly technical process of procurement assessment; evaluation; market and survey/price intelligence among others as enshrined in the PPA. Hence, any cost/project anomalies observed becomes an indictment on the procurement planning committees saddled with the projects costing responsibilities, he said such cannot be corrected overnight by the National Assembly right at the hallow chamber.
He however posited that incase of possible errors/inadequacies in the budgetary allocations, the National Assembly can return the entire appropriation bill to the president who will make necessary corrections/amendments through the procuring entities/procurement planning committees and represent to the National Assembly for reconsideration.
Omoniyi said: ‘’The legislative power of the National Assembly is to make laws, and such power in itself is not without limit, particularly on public procurement. The power had been sufficiently exercised by the enactment of the extant Public Procurement Act 2007 hence, any conduct of the National Assembly on public contracts outside of the extant public procurement Act/regulations amounts to abuse of power/over-legislation.’’.
Budget Padding: NEFGAD Threatens Court Action, Says it’s a Grave Procurement Infraction
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
By: Our Reporter
Judge bars him from inciting public, undermining national security
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned a politician and online publisher, Omoyele Sowore, before a Federal High Court in Abuja, for alleged cybercrimes, with the court barring him from further making statements that are detrimental to the peace and security of the country.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling, threatened to revoke the bail granted Sowore’ should he ever make such statements. The arraignment came after two previous attempts, with the politician’s lawyer introducing what the DSS lawyer, Akinolu Kehinde SAN, called legal obstacles.
On Tuesday, however, Justice Umar held that since there was evidence that Sowore was a presidential candidate in the country before and having also earlier been granted bail by the court, with his international passport still being held by the court, he was entitled to be granted bail on self-recognition.
The ruling was on a bail application argued by his lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, shortly after Sowore was arraigned on a five-count charge, in which he is accused of defaming President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as a criminal in his posts on X and Facebook.
When the charge, being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS), was read to him, Sowore pleaded not guilty.
In the charge, Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 elections, is accused of contravening the provisions of the the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Criminal Code Act by calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal
The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.
Details shortly.
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
News
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have carried out a series of coordinated attacks across parts of Zamfara State, killing one person and abducting several others in Zurmi and Bungudu Local Government Areas, security sources have confirmed.
In the first incident, bandits invaded Tungar Tsamiya village in Moriki District of Zurmi LGA at about 10:40 p.m. on Nov. 30, shooting dead one resident and abducting 10 others.
Security forces launched a search-and-rescue operation to locate the victims.
Barely hours later, on Monday morning, another group of bandits attacked Doguwar Gona forest in the same Moriki District.
The assailants abducted 17 men and women who were in the area fetching firewood. Security personnel are tracking the movement of the attackers with the aim of rescuing the captives.
In a separate incident in Bungudu LGA, gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed Makwa village in Kurar Mota District at about 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 1 and abducted an unconfirmed number of residents.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA and police operatives, supported by local vigilante groups, have intensified efforts to rescue all abducted victims and restore calm across the affected communities.
Search operations are ongoing.
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
By: Zagazola Makama
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday paid a sympathy visit to the Bishop of Kontagora, Bishop Bulus Yohanna, following the recent abduction of students of St. Mary Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The NSA, who arrived Kontagora by helicopter at about noon, was accompanied by the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Tony Ajayi; the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs; and senior officials from the Office of the NSA.
Ribadu and his entourage proceeded to the office of the Bishop at St. Michael Church, where they met with representatives of families of the abducted students, the school principal, and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the 19 Northern States, Bishop Joseph Hayap.
During the meeting, the NSA assured the community that the Federal Government was intensifying efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted pupils and staff.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending attacks on schools and ensuring the safety of students across the country.
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
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