I was happy when people called to tell me that the issues of misappropriation raised in my last article, ‘ Governor AbdulRazaq and the niggling worries of Misappropriation’ had been fact – checked and were proven to be false. It was good to know my thoughts aroused curiosity in someone or people and led to further research on the subject matter. However, the initial excitement dropped when the make- believe fact- checking exercise only did more harm than good to the discourse, as it turned out to be impotent of logic and basics – which it was supposed to uphold.
Fact – checking is the act of checking factual assertions in non- fictional text in order to determine the veracity and correctness of the facts of the statement in the text. (Wikipedia) This definition would guide the article as I try to reveal the inconsistencies riddled in the article written by my brother, Kawu Atolagbe. Normally it wouldn’t have mattered if he had called it an opinion article like I tagged mine, but the careless usage of fact- checking for such critically inadequate piece is inexcusable. More so, I owe a duty to my kinsman to disabuse their minds from gullibility.
I shall outline the three issues “fact- checked” by my brother, Atolagbe Kawu, while trying to expose what he projected as “findings”.
Is Governor AbdulRazaq engaging in extra- budgetary funding?
According to the reported findings, Factualtimes made us believe that the government is not culpable of extra- budgetary funding. But that is not true going by his findings.
” The sum of N1.8billion was earmarked for UBEC Counterpart fund with item code of 23050195. Although, the N450million disbursed by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq administration for UBEC counterpart fund is being treated as loan.
Recall that the immediately past administration under Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed admitted borrowing N1.5billion fund in 2013 with N450million balance before expiration of their tenure on May 28, 2019. The N450million is treated as loan repayment under Statewide vote (N8billion) with Code 22020606″.
The above statement is inconsistent. The said fund earmarked for UBEC Counterpart fund in the 2019 approved budget was not the one expended. So we need to ask Factualtimes where he got the 1.8bn. What was paid was 450million, which tallies with what my beloved Senior brother, Rafiu Ajakiaye, said yesterday but the money was taken from Statewide vote (8billion) under the Ministry of Finance and not from any 1.8bn. Should we not know where the 1.8bn is?
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“N232million for health related counterpart funds cover three areas according to press statement issued by the CPS on July 2, 2019.
a. Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHPV) N100million
b. Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN) N50million
c. Access Global Grants for Malaria N82million
But only “two out of three items have budget provision in 2019 appropriation. N60million approved for ANRIN while Global Grants for Malaria has N30million allocation as against N82million disbursed. ” He just admitted again one was not explicitly stated in the budget.
Instead, he relied on a nameless source in the government which explained ” that other amount could have been sourced from vote for health related programmes”. Why is it unknown? Why based on assumptions? Was this not supposed to be a fact- checking exercise? Meanwhile, the statement released by the government today captured the three although it was uhuru to the answer.
From the foregoing, the discerning should be wondering how Atolagbe Kawu came about his no – extra budgetary spending verdict – if not calling it purely a guesswork – when he just displayed clear lack of knowledge about the budget.
What budget is the government using to run activities?
Like Kawu, I agree with the assertion that the state government is using the 2019 budget. I only asked questions of their consistency. However, even that may only be on paper. My arguments have been that there are obvious disparities from what is obtainable in the budget and what is being expended. The government would only address the worries if they can boldly say there was an MDAs review for budgetary. Or a Virement obtained for all these flagged spendings.
The provided leeway about statewide vote of 8billion in Ministry of Finance stands acceptable for the UBEC fund payment according to the Press Secretary. But what remains of the 8bn is unknown to the public considering the fact that the former government must have spent from it too. It won’t be long before questions are raised again unless the supplementary budget is passed quickly. Especially now that the back and forth must have called the attention of the public to their spending.
Does the Constitution allow anticipatory spending without Legislative approval?
My friend, Atolagbe Kawu cited Section 123 (1) of 1999 FRN Constitution. “Section 123. (1) A House of Assembly may by Law make provisions for the establishment of a Contingencies Fund for the State and for authorising the Governor, if satisfied that there has arisen an urgent and unforeseen need for
expenditure for which no other provision exists, to make advances from the Fund to meet that need.
(2) Where any advance is made in accordance with the provisions of this section, a Supplementary Estimate shall be presented and a Supplementary Appropriation Bill shall presented and a Supplementary Appropriation Bill shall be introduced as soon as possible for the purpose of replacing the amount so advanced” which, of course, was an altered version of the dictates of that section. My brother Kawu must have really needed something badly to back his claims which made him altered the end of that section.
However, I refer the public to Section 121 (4) of the constitution which says if “appropriation Law for any purpose is insufficient (b) a need has arisen for a purpose which no amount has been appropriated by the Law, a supplementary estimate showing the sums required shall be laid before the House of assembly and the heads of any such expenditure shall be included a supplementary Appropriation bill”. Have Kwara state government proposed supplementary appropriation bill been passed and signed into Law? This question beg for answers. Especially when Our Fiscal Responsibility Act 2008 doesn’t recognize Extra budgetary provision for Appropriation. And we do not know if there was MDAs review or Virement sought for the expenditure identified. Mayhap the bottomless 8bn Statewide votes cover them all. But the ifs and buts will not go. Our fears remain. Until the government come out clean.
This is for the guesswork exercise our Factualtimes man, Atolagbe Kawu, did and tagged fact- checking. I had to do this to disabuse the minds of the public from the financial inequities he sold to them. And for the sake of noble profession of Journalism which hold sacred the instrument of fact- checking to uphold the truth.
Why did you do that, Factualtimes?
Unsubstantial Rejoinder by the Min. Of Development and Planning…
Upon the lingering fears I raised about misappropriation, the state government finally reacted through the Ministry of Development and Planning this morning. But instead of addressing the issues, the statement was more of tissues. It is evident it was hurriedly written to silence the writer and maintain the image of the government in the eyes of the public. While I do not have problems with that, I wish to inform Mr. Tayo Oyewole and the government that the press release revealed further questions. The corpse he tried to buried had its burnt toes showing.
Article 2 of the cited examples of expenditure according to the statement reads: “2. N100m Basic Healthcare Provision Fund: Code 0521001, subcode 230301, sub-sub code 23030105. It was released on 3 July, 2019 with Reference No: MoH/KW/113/530”.
The code 23030105 which is subcode of Code 0521001 attributed to N100m Basic Health Provision fund was not meant for payment of counterpart funding. I make bold to say that the referenced code name is for rehabilitation/repair of Hospitals/Health centres as been specified in the budget. This must have been an oversight by the writer or a failed clear attempt to spear the government blushes. If it was meant for counterpart funding it would have been expressly stated like that of malaria which was clearly stated.
Meanwhile, Kwarans deserve to know that the said fund under that code was supposed to be used for building health centers and repairing old ones. The government efforts to use the money to secure funding which is not sure or promised could be denying the citizens the luxury they ought to have been enjoying now.
I wish to state that no one expected the government to admit culpability. But as a patriotic Kwaran, I advise they become extra – careful with economic and financial matters going forward. Kwarans are getting wiser and shall never be fooled again. This is a step in the fight to rise.