• Inaugural absentee Hon. Daniel Eiwanlan sworn into Congress.
• President Garrick Nosa and LAWSA Excos Present Budget.
• Congress fails to approve budget completely as majority members walk out.
There was no shortage of drama and intrigue on Thursday, 21st of January as the Supreme Congress of LAWSA could not fully approve the budget presented by the Executive arm of government, just as there was a massive exeunt of Congressmen from the sitting.
The sitting started at about 4pm when the speaker walked in, and with the normal congress formalities, reading and adoption of minutes done, absentee at the Inaugural congress sitting and swearing in, Daniel Eromosele Eiwanlan was sworn in by the speaker.
Hon. Daniel Eiwanlan.
After this action, it was time for the executive to present its budget and a motion was moved to that effect.
The Executive arm of government was ably represented by President of LAWSA, Garrick Nosa, Vice President Ruth Ogor, Secretary General, Ugochukwu Okeleke, Financial Secretary Stanley Umeh, Public Relations Officer Kelvin Irikefe, Director of Socials, Smith Egharevba and Director of Sports Lucky Obahor.
However things began to go awry when copies of the budget made available to the house where grossly inadequate. This did not go well with the congressmen, in a disapproval voiced out by Deputy Speaker Honourable Franklin Ikechukwu who noted that in a repetition of events like in the previous sitting (ELECO budget presentation) the copies were not enough, that worse still the executive made available one copy of the budget to each constituency. The 400level congressman pointed that although he understood the harsh economic situation the association was in, the executives should have done better than they had done. The President apologized for this inconvenience citing financial constraints. However more copies were made and distributed amongst the congressmen and the presentation of the budget started in earnest.
The Speaker Hon. Nna Victor brought to the attention of the house, that even though a budget had not being approved all this while, "the executives have not allowed the affairs of LAWSA to be stagnant, so in their wisdom they have embarked on some projects that they feel is in the best interest of LAWSA".
The President was directed by the Speaker to leave the budget for the "other offices" and concentrate on the General LAWSA projects, that the respective executive officers would account to the house on their separate budgets.
After presentation of the budget to the house, the floor was open for questions to the President.
Members noted that the 'so-called' budget only listed expenditures, but did not specify the revenue coming into the association and also how the budget will be funded.
In addressing this concern, President Garrick Nosa stated that the funds to come in from the dues even if all students decide to pay, will not be enough obviously to cover the budget, that the Executives intend to go out and source for funds in order to be able to finance the budget.
The Financial Secretary, Stanley Umeh was the next to take the stage, as he explained his own budget which included plans to generate funds by printing and selling stickers, and other legal related merchandise. This exercise was going well until he mentioned that the sum of 200naira was budgeted as the allowances of congressmen per sitting, and things further turned sour when he announced that at present, ninety percent of congressmen were yet to pay their dues, and two excos were also yet to so do and consequently LAWSA's account was empty.
Stanley Umeh.
This utterance was baffling and disconcerting to the congressmen.
Hon. Eke Martins, whip of the 400level constituency asserted that the financial secretary had insulted Congress and LAWSA. He was quick to point out, that he and some other Congressmen had paid their dues, students of 100level were paying dues, so how can the financial secretary stand before Congress and say that the financial account is empty.
In reply, Stanley Umeh said that the account was empty because LAWSA had two accounts, one of which is the bus project account, and the other - the main LAWSA account, both which they did not have access to because they were dormant. This revelation was perplexing to congressmen and keen observers present who still did not understand the import of the Fin Sec's statement, who seem to have put himself in a tighter corner with this revelation.
It drew questions from congressmen as to where all funds being collected by him were being kept and how much had being collected so far.
The house was becoming rowdy as barrage of questions were hurled at the Financial Secretary by the congressmen, who did not provide answers that satisfied the Congressmen.
The Speaker had to step into the matter to calm the Congressmen and permitted the President to clear the air on the issue. Garrick Nosa stated that truly the two LAWSA accounts were dormant because the administration of former President of LAWSA - Innocent Osagu who were signatories to the account, did not transfer such before graduating from the Faculty and going to Law school.
Innocent Osagu
Most Congressmen not satisfied with the way the whole process was going left, leaving eleven(11) Congressmen, one(1) from the 300level constituency, two(2) from the 400level constituency, others from the 500level including the Speaker and Clerk. This did not go down well with Honourable Chief Whip of the House, Freeman Ameh. He stated that he was highly embittered, surprised and regarded as appalling the lackadaisical attitude of his fellow congressmen from other levels with regard to sensitive government matters. They would indiscriminately leave the floor of the house when they had important issues to trash out and the whips of the various constituencies could not call their members to order. He called this action an aberration and abomination, stating that he as whip of the 500level constituency was able to persuade his members to wait for the siting even after a class because of the sensitive nature of the matter to be handled, and pleaded on Mr Speaker to do something about the act of indiscipline exhibited by the congressmen of the lower levels. Hon. Nna Victor acknowledged this fact, promised to look into the matter and take necessary steps.
It was getting late and it became obvious that the whole budget could not be reviewed and approved that same day, a motion was moved out of necessity for the budgets of the Director of Sports Lucky Obahor and Director of Socials, Smith Egharevba to be presented and approved, because of the incoming Dean's Games starting the next week and the Matriculation Party for the 100level student which would take place the next day.
Despite concerns raised against approval of such budgets due to the lack of the approved number of congressmen needed for approval of such budget, Speaker Nna Victor, dismissed such concerns saying the other members who left slept on their rights.
The budgets for the Director of Sports and Director of Socials (as it relates to the Matriculation Party) were approved and the sitting adjourned to a latter date, while the remaining part budget was committed to the House Committee on Budget and Finance for further review.
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