The
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has scored the
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala zero out of the 50 questions given to her by the House of
Representatives. Tambuwal who was represented by the Deputy Spokesperson, Victor Ogene said this
at the 11th Daily Trust dialogue in Abuja on January 15.
“In writing a 100 page letter, she had
probably written two pages as answers to one question. But as a House we
are still expecting answers to those questions which form the fulcrum
for the preparation of the 2014 budget,” Tambuwal said.
He went down memory lane on what
transpired in the House on 20th December when the Minister was walked
out by the committee due to the mannerism displayed by her, when she
said; “When you invite Ministers, you should treat them with respect. We
can’t be invited and be abused”.
He further noted that it is only in Africa that “a minister can talk of being harassed by a parliament”
“It is the duty of the parliament to
hold the executives accountable to the governed and we will continue to
do that”, added the speaker.
He assured that the lawmakers will begin work on the minister’s answer and invite her again if necessary.
As earler reported, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala had on Wednesday 15 January 2014 provided a detailed 102-page documented
response to the 50 questions posed by the House of Representatives
Committee on Finance. The document provides, in extensive detail,
including tables and graphs, answers to the committee’s well publicized
questions.
In her response, the Minister stressed
that, in spite of many challenges which government has acknowledged, the
Nigerian economy is showing real and measurable progress in many areas.
This can be seen in the fact that more jobs are being created; roads,
rail and other infrastructure are being improved; the country is saving
for the future and planning better for the present. The Jonathan
administration, contrary to the impression given by some critics, is
making impact in the areas that, according to credible opinion polls,
Nigerians are most passionate about.
"For instance, on job creation which is a
central focus of the administration, a total of 1.6 million jobs were
created last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)
of which 250,000 were seasonal jobs created in dry season farming in 10
northern states. In manufacturing, the Onne Oil and Gas Free zone
created an estimated 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. The government
special intervention programme YouWin supported young entrepreneurs,
creating over 18,000 jobs. The SURE-P Community Services prgramme has
also created 120,000 job opportunities.
"The improvement in federal highways has
been confirmed by many Nigerians who travelled over the Christmas and
New Year holidays. Key highways which have witnessed significant
progress include Kano-Maiduguri road, the Abuja-Lokoja road, the
Apapa-Oshodi road, the Onitsha-Enugu-Port-Harcourt road and the
Benin-Ore-Shagamu road. Preliminary work has commenced on Lagos-Ibadan
road and the Second Niger Bridge.
"The Railway Modernization Programme
involving the construction of standard gauge lines is underway. The
1,124 km Western line linking Lagos and Kano is now functional while
work on the Eastern line linking Port Harcourt to Maiduguri is about 36%
complete. The Abuja-Kaduna Standard Gauge line has attained 68%
completion, and the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri Line which is presently 77%
completed, will be completed next year. The annual passenger traffic on
our railways has increased steadily: rising from 1 million in 2011 to 5
million in 2013.
"One of the issues the Coordinating
Minister dealt with is the charge, made by the Chair of the Committee in
the media that the country is racking up debts under Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s
watch as Finance Minister. As shown in her response, there is no
substance to the charge. In fact, the opposite is true. Right from her
Senate confirmation hearing in 2011, the Minister had identified rising
debt as a major challenge which the country needs to confront. Under the
leadership of President Jonathan and working with the Debt Management
Office and the Budget Office of the Fedration, the Minister followed
through with a robust approach which includes progressive reduction of
borrowing, quick settlement of due debts and the retirement of N75
billion of maturing bonds via a Sinking Fund dedicated to paying off
substantial bonds. These measures have produced clear results as shown
in the reduction of borrowing from N852 billion in 2011 to N571.9
billion this year.
"It is important to note that many of
the 50 Questions had been adequately answered at various fora, including
meetings and open hearings organized by the House Committee. The
Minister’s detailed response in spite of this, is a reflection of her
well known high regard for the National Assembly as an institution,"
Okonjo-Iwealla stated.
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