National Assembly Roundup: Customs officer’s death, extension of 2023 budgets, other top stories from Reps

Even though members of the National Assembly spent the larger part of last week on holiday, it turned out to be an eventful week—from a tragic incident in the committee room to boos and cheers in the chamber over the 2023 budgets. Here is a recap of events in the Green Chamber in the last week.

Tragedy in the Committee Room

In the past couple of years, the walls of the committee rooms of the National Assembly have witnessed a number of dramas, from the “ off-your-mic” saga to the collapse of Daniel Pondei, a former NDDC Managing Director. If only walls could talk.

On Tuesday, an actual tragedy occurred. Andrew Essien, a deputy comptroller of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), collapsed during an interaction with lawmakers and was later pronounced dead by the doctors at the National Assembly Clinic.

Mr Essien, who was in charge of revenue in the NCS’s Account Unit, was answering questions about customs revenue when he coughed and requested water.

The final moments of the officer were surreal. “Sir, I might need to take some water,” Mr Essien said while struggling to open a bottle of water in front of him.

Before he could be helped to open the bottle by his colleague, the officer collapsed and was rushed to the National Assembly Clinic, but he did not come out of that clinic, unlike Mr Pondei, who walked out alive.

Rowdy Session over extension of 2023 budgets

On Thursday, the lawmakers cut short their holiday to amend the 2023 Appropriations Act and the 2023 supplementary budget. President Bola Tinubu transmitted the executive bills to allow the full implementation of the capital components of the two budgets.

The request for the extension ordinarily would have been treated casually, considering that the House had earlier approved requests for extension twice—in December and March.

However, PREMIUM TIMES had, on the eve of the emergency session, reported that the extension could create a situation where the country is running four budgets concurrently in light of the plans by Mr Tinubu’s government to introduce a 2024 supplementary budget.

During the debate on the general principle of the bills, several lawmakers raised concerns about the possibility of running four concurrent budgets.

The Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), led the opposition to the bill and was surprisingly backed by former Majority Leader Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano).

Many lawmakers supported the debate with boos and cheers. Those who spoke in favour of the bill got boos, while those who spoke against it got cheers.

To avoid what could have become a political embarrassment, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen called for an executive session to deliberate on the request. After the 30-minute closed session, the move by the speaker worked as the lawmakers speedily passed bills.

Abia Lawmaker in Daura over Nnamdi Kanu

On Saturday, Obi Aguocha, the House of Representatives member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia State, visited former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura over the incarcerated leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Mr Aguocha, in a statement he released, said his visit to Mr Buhari was to seek his intervention and support for political dialogue and constructive engagement that could engender a resolution of the issues surrounding the continued detention and trial of Mr Kanu, and that could lead to his release on pragmatic national reconciliation considerations.

“For the missteps, utterances, and ill gestures of the past, especially on the part of my constituent and brother, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, I am deeply sorry,” he said in the statement.

Mr Aguocha is one of the 50 lawmakers who wrote a letter to President Tinubu seeking the release of the separatist leader.

Meanwhile, it appears Mr Aguocha has changed his strategy on the demand for the release of Mr Kanu. He once said Mr Kanu was incarcerated because of Mr Buhari’s hatred for the people of the South-east.

“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a victim of President Buhari’s ill will and hatred against the ‘Dot’ people,” he said in response to a book by Femi Adesina.

Mr Adesina, a former spokesperson for the ex-president, in his book published recently, had quoted the former president as saying bringing Mr Kanu back to face trial in Nigeria was a favour.

Mr Adesina, in the book titled “Working with Buhari: Reflections of A Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023)”, narrated how a group known as Highly-Respected Igbo Greats, led by Mbazulike Ameachi, a First Republic Minister of Aviation, pleaded with the former president to release Mr Kanu.

In an excerpt from the book, Mr Buhari was quoted to have told his guests that incarcerating Mr Kanu was a favour compared to the alternative.

“I feel it is a favour to give him (Kanu) that opportunity. The government could have mobilised to eliminate him where he was, but we did not do that.”

Mr Kanu was first arrested in 2015 during the administration of the former president.

The IPOB leader is being tried for alleged terrorism, among other charges.