- Troops kill 200 insurgents in Michika battle
The law envisages that such consultations shall be open to the public, the press and any citizen or authorised representatives of any organisation, group of citizens, who may attend and be heard on any subject matter properly in view, In preparing the fiscal documents, the law enjoins the minister to seek input from the National Planning Commission, Joint Planning Board, National Commission on Development Planning, National Economic Commission, National Assembly, Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), National Bureau of Statistics, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and any other relevant statutory body.
By implication, the MTEF ought to have been laid before the National Assembly early last month to enable both chambers of the parliament consider, modify and approve it and thereby setting the stage for the executive to prepare the 2015 budget estimates. So far, the MTEF document has only been approved by the Federal Executive Council and it is yet to be presented to the National Assembly. The delay, New Telegraph, learnt is due to the need by the government to consult widely and ensure that the challenges of insecurity, oil price volatility, Ebola Virus Disease and their attendant cost implications were factored into next year’s budget.
Chairman, Senate Committee On Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, confirmed to New Telegraph that the National Assembly was yet to receive the 2015/2017 MTEF/Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) about one month after it was due. Enang added that the legislature was prepared to receive and consider the documents as soon as they were presented to the National Assembly. According to him, there is an overriding need for the executive and the legislature to do a thorough job on the MTEF because it forms the basis upon which the 2015 budget will be prepared.
“I admit that it is getting late, but I believe that it is better that the executive is allowed to do a thorough job on it before it comes to us. This is a peculiar year; we have a crucial election ahead of us, we have had heightened insecurity and an unforeseen health epidemic this year. All these added to oil price volatility must be factored into the budget for it to be a realistic document,” he said. In previous years, the presentation of the MTEF and FSP to the National Assembly usually triggered controversies as the legislature made attempts to modify the projections of the executive in terms of oil price benchmark, exchange rate and other fundamental macro-economic projections.
New Telegraph investigations showed that this year, the story might not be different as the lawmakers would be interested in scrutinising the budget thoroughly even though the executive claimed the draft MTEF/FSP was prepared in consultation with the legislature. In matters relating to the budget and public fiancé management, there has always been an atmosphere of mutual suspicion between the executive and the legislature.
This suspicion is likely to escalate this year because of the perception of the opposition parties that the ruling party might want to inflate next year’s budget in order to put aside some of the funds for its electioneering. Barring any last minute twists, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, will transmit the MTEF to the National Assembly by the middle of October.
But if past experiences are anything to go by, it will take the National Assembly at least one month to consider and approve the document before returning it to the executive to prepare the budget. It was learnt that the preparations of the 2015 Appropriation Bill and presentation to the National Assembly it by mid- December at the earliest. However, given this projection, it might be difficult for the National Assembly to pass the 2015 budget before the end of the year as the lawmakers would be be in full election mood by the time the money bill gets to them.
ancestral homes. Our minds are greatly troubled; do we think about our status? Or about our family members yet to be connected with ever since we fled our homes? Do we worry about our aged parents who were not so strong to run? They always fed us with words of encouragement and wisdom. “Do we worry about our sick members, women and infants who had been trapped; most of whom we heard had been raped and killed? Or worry about the health, education and future of our children? We have got a lot of questions yet to be answered.”
While noting that children in the affected areas are suffering hunger and are not well clothed, the church expressed concern about resumption of school after five months of closure, stating that if thousands of children cannot go to school, then in the long run “boko is really haram.” “Then, their (children) future is at stake, quite bleak. The health condition of our people is truly troubling in their displaced camps,” the church added.
It criticised the inability of the Federal Government to speedily end the insurgency, saying it is absurd that while people are perishing as a result of the Boko Haram attacks, what they are getting is inaction or rather slow action. “Political activities in neighboring communities were ongoing as though nothing were at stake. The seemingly not so much talked about syndicate would someday be a yoke on all. “Lately, three local government areas of Bama, in Borno and Madagali / Michika in Adamawa States and their local government chairmen were all sacked. The shehus and emirs overturned. This amounts to what I would rather refer to as cultural coup, since unknown figures have been placed in such capacities.
“Thousand displaced, many killed, and others forcibly conscripted. These are pointers that Boko Haram terrorism is not just a Northern problem, but a Nigerian problem and in fact a global issue,” the church stated. Meanwhile, sources in Yola have said that troops have killed about 200 Boko Haram insurgents in a battle in Michika, which has been under the control of the terrorists for about a month. One of the sources said after routing the insurgents from Michika, the troops advanced towards Madagali to dislodge the terrorists.
According to the source, the insurgents, who had suffered heavy casualties after they were bombarded on Sunday, re-grouped at the Government Technical College, Michika in preparations to launch another attack on the soldiers. “Nigerian troops have gained entry into Michika and Gulak, and are now fully in control of the towns having dealt a severe blow to the insurgents, as they lost about 200 members, while some escaped with injuries sustained from gun shots.” Attempts to get more details of the encounter between the troops and the insurgents from the Army Public Relations Officer of the 23rd Army Brigade Yola, Capt. Jafaru Nuhu, were unsuccessful as calls to his telephone were not going through.
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