The Senate was taken aback on Wednesday when the Director General of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Samson Duna, revealed that the institute only generated N18 million in income each year.

Duna also announced that the institute’s budget for 2021 was N49 billion.

He revealed this while leading the NBRRI management team to the National Assembly’s Senate Committee on Science and Technology in Abuja.

Despite the N49 billion it received in its 2021 budget, the DG told the Senator Lilian Ekwunife-led Committee, NBRRI was unable to meet its goals for the year under review.

Duna explained that the institute only received 75% of the whole planned amount, with 18 million naira in revenue from journals and tender documents, and capital expenditure of 47 billion naira and personnel costs of 774 million naira.

Professor Duna revealed that the research institute has produced an alternative to cement while noting that it employs 530 people around the country.

According to him, the alternative made from waste items will lower the cost of construction and road construction.

He stated that the agency is working with the Ministry of Works and Housing, the Road Maintenance Agency, and other construction sector stakeholders to achieve decent and cheap roads across the country.

Professor Duna also revealed that N200 million had been set aside for the procurement of computer software to meet NBRRI’s mandate in a clause-by-clause explanation of the institute’s fiscal policy for 2021.

The program, he claims, will aid in the design of research prototypes as well as the monitoring of ongoing initiatives.

The Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) was established as one of the research institutes under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology to conduct research on local building and construction materials to determine the most effective and economic methods of their utilization;

In their reactions, the lawmakers urged the leadership of the institute to find alternatives to shore up its income.

They also mandated it to reducing the cost of constructing feeder roads by using rice sauce ash and other forms of waste including industrial waste earlier suggested by NBRRI.

Comrade Timi Frank, the All Progressives Congress (APC ) former Deputy National Publicity Secretary has accused the Federal Government on Wednesday of showing great insensitivity to the plight of victims of the #EndSARS protests and the Lekki Tollgate atrocity a year ago.

Frank stated the Federal Government has failed to bring those responsible for the atrocious deeds to account in a statement commemorating the first anniversary of the youth revolt, which concluded with the harsh repression and grisly slaughter of scores of demonstrators by troops of the Nigerian Army.

He bemoaned the failure of governments at all levels to establish and implement policies and programs that would result in significant job creation, youth empowerment and involvement, and poverty reduction.

According to Frank: “No soldier has been sanctioned nor prosecuted. No living victim nor family of dead victims have been compensated. How long will victims of the wickedness of government await justice?

“Besides, it is both unimaginable and unacceptable that one year after the #EndSARS agitations, policemen involved in the inhuman and egregious acts like torture, extortions, extra-judicial killings and other abuses have not been held to account.

“The Nigerian Government at all levels have not only betrayed the people, they have continued to engage in anti-people rhetorics that show their unwillingness to learn from the issues that led to the #EndSARS protests.”

He lamented that the judicial panels set up to unravel the police atrocities and government sponsored crackdown on peaceful protesters have failed to conclude their sittings and make actionable recommendations.

“Why is it that the panel’s of enquiry set up by the Federal Government and various other state governments have failed to diligently carry out their assignments and ensure justice for victims?

“This is nothing but an unholy and ungodly collusion aimed at making Nigerians forget the incident, protect security agents who massacred peaceful protesters and to eternally deny victims of justice,” he said.

He called on Nigerian youths to remain resolute and steadfast in their quest to stamp out police brutality and other forms of victimization, corruption, harassment, intimidation and extra-judicial killings by security forces in the country.

He condemned the police for attempting to prevent the youths from marking the anniversary of the Lekki Tollgate atrocity with rallies and peaceful protests, adding that peaceful assembly and protest are inalienable rights of every citizen that no government can abridge.

He once again sympathised with survivours and families of those who lost loved ones during the orgy of violence perpetrated against defenseless youths by military personnel and agents of other security forces on October 20, 2020 at the Lekki Tollgate.

He insisted that notwithstanding the theatrics and shenanigans being demonstrated by security forces and government officials who are feeding fat on tax payers’ sweat, the fact remains that the power to change Nigeria for better lies with the youths.

He urged the young people of this country not to waver or give up despite the high level of harassment, intimidation and government sanctioned brutal crackdown against them by Nigerian security forces meant to cow them as there has never been an easy walk to freedom anywhere in history.

He thanked world leaders and members of the international community like President Joe Biden and Hilary Clinton for lending their voice in support of the demand of the #EndSARS protesters, which was to end police brutality, corruption and bad governance in Nigeria.

He thank both local and international celebrities who participated in and supported the protests as well as the local and international media for making the voice of the protesters heard one year ago and who have not allowed the October massacre to be forgotten.

He called on President Biden and the American government and other world leaders to make good their promise to hold the perpetrators of the injustice against the #EndSARS protesters accountable.

Despite signing a Memorandum of Action on state legislature and judiciary autonomy, the majority of the 36 governors have not pushed for legislation to back it up.

Only 12 states have passed legislation granting state legislatures and judiciaries autonomy.

Eight of the twelve states did so in the north, and four in the south.

Plateau, Sokoto, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Enugu, Lagos, Imo, Jigawa, Kwara, Taraba, Nassarawa, and Kaduna are the states involved.

Senator Ita Enang, the Secretary of the Implementation Committee on State Legislature and Judiciary Autonomy, made the revelations in a paper delivered at the National Judicial Institute in Abuja to the Chief Judges of 36 states, 19 Grand Khadis, and 17 Presidents of the Customary Court of Appeal.

Enang, who talked behind closed doors, stated that if the government has financial autonomy, any irresponsible leader will pay the price.

He said there were intense arguments with the governors during negotiations with the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASSAN) and the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) over who would oversee contract awarding in the Legislature and the Judiciary.

Governors, he said, will lay land mines for the judiciary and court heads.

Enang urged the heads of the courts to exercise caution when implementing financial autonomy.

Following the PASSAN and JUSUN strikes, all parties, including the Nigeria Governors Forum, signed a Memorandum of Action on May 20, 2021. (NGF).

All of the states agreed to a 45-day implementation period.

However, as of September 2021, only 12 states had complied with the deal, according to Enang.

He explained what led to President Muhammadu Buhari issuing Executive Order 10 on legislative and judicial authority.

He said: “It is tempting, for time constraints, to skip the historical of the originating processes that led to the autonomy commencing from the Memo et al to the preparation and signing of Executive Order 10, which legally set out the template for the implementation in the different states with sanction for failure to so do.

“Upon Assent to the Constitution Amendment which reemphasized autonomy and funds to the Legislative and Judicial arms directly from the Consolidated Revenue Funds of these states upon appropriation, the governors failed to release the funds to the said arms.

“Upon this, the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Body of Chief Judges, Hon Justice Ajana (C. J Kogi), of blessed memories and Hon Justice Kate Abiri (C J Bayelsa) consulted with institutions of government as to possible aid to implementation

As Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, I prior consulted with higher authorities and upon green light originated a memo setting out the background and praying Mr. President for constitution of Presidential Implementation Committee on Autonomy of States Legislature and States Judiciary.

“The terms of the memo and prayers dated September 11, 2020 set out thus:

To assess and review the level of compliance by all the 36 states of the Federation with section 121(3) of the 1999 constitution (as amended)
To monitor, ensure and cause the implementation of financial autonomy across the judiciary and legislature of the 36 states of the federation in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and other applicable laws, instruments and conventions however providing for financial autonomy for the legislature and judiciary at the tier of government
To consult and relate with the appropriate federal and state MDAs including but not limited to the Governors Forum, (NGF) Accountant-General of the Federation and those of states, the National Economic Council and other institutions of state to ensure and where necessary enforce the implementation of the constitutional provision.
To come up with appropriate modality or enforce to be adopted by all the states of the Federation for implementation and/or compliance with section 121(3) of the 1991 constitution (as amended)
To do such other things that are deemed necessary or incidental to the fulfilment of the aim of the committee to attain the full purpose this assignment.
”The Committee was constituted and inaugurated with terms of reference and constitution as proposed.”

He said it was not easy to convince the governors to concede to autonomy for the Legislature and the Judiciary.

He said there were heated arguments and disagreements with the governors as to award of contracts.

He said after the signing of Memorandum of Action, only 12 states have enacted autonomy legislation for the Legislature and the Judiciary.

He added: “The committee and its mandate were sternly opposed and fought by the governors but eventually arrived at recommendations which were further stoutly resisted by governors who are Heads of the Executive arm of Government and in illegal control of the State Treasury disbursing at discretion without respect to the entitlement of the other two arms of government

“The recommendations were reduced to Executive Order No. 10 signed and issued by Mr. President setting out the process of Implementation and option of getting the sum deducted directly from the account of that states government at the Federation Account and pay directly to the account of the offended arm of government where the state fails.

“The governments of the states failed and refused as expected and after all steps failed, we initiated steps at deducting the monies due the State Judiciary from the Federation account.

“Memo went upstairs and the governors intervened opting for more fruitless time buying dialogue and Mr. President obliged and directed the Chief of Staff to the President to handle

“At this forum, after all familiar antics it was agreed that as per the E O 10, each state should have enacted or made Funds management Laws for each state regulating budgeting and fund releases to the account of each arm of government. This on its own was not honored until strike by Judiciary Staff Union and Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria which now moved us from the Chief of Staff office to The Ministry of Labour

“Memorandum of action was signed on May 20, 2021 which you all have with 45 days window of implementation.

“As at September 2021 only 12 States have passed the Legislation, namely: Plateau ; Sokoto; Bauchi ; Bayelsa ; Enugu; Lagos; Imo; Jigawa; Kwara; Taraba; Nassarawa; and Kaduna.

Enang advised heads of the Legislature and the Judiciary to be cautious and place premium on due diligence.

He said with financial autonomy, any errant head of government will pay for it.

He added: “But under the autonomy regime you are, as the Heads of the Arm of Government personally responsible. And will answer for it. Thus the need for due diligence as physician will now heal himself.”

“The best and error proof process is as provided or will be provided in the Judiciary (funds management) Law or such Legislation by whatever name called passed by the State House of Assembly and Assented to by the Governor guiding the operation and application of Judiciary funds by the Judiciary for the Judiciary to be accounted for by the Judiciary.

“Again, in the Memorandum of Action signed in the course of the PASSAN and JUSUN strikes wherein we laid out irreducible minimum in the template as to the proposed content of the Laws, we did have heated arguments and disagreements with the governors as to award of contracts.

“The tone of that discussion and possible land mine evident thereat indicates that the Executive or the Governors will be laying land mines for the Judiciary or Heads of courts to fall into and be doomed.

“Be wise and go for precedence when Statutes leaves loopholes or presents a banana peel.”

Enang asked Chief Judges to be careful in implementing financial autonomy in order not to land in the net of any anti-corruption agency.

He said: “I have had the privilege of examining Funds Management Laws of States’ Legislatures and Judiciary and they, in the main provides for due process institutions and procedure within the Laws and insulates the Heads of the Legislative and Judicial Arms of Governments from direct and hands on participation in financial matters except general direction as given to the Governor in the Executive.

“A governor is not personally involved in processes but such are handled in Ministerial form with permanent Secretaries as accounting officers, not even the commissioners. This is the process as now is, and is to be entrenched statutorily in the Judiciary Funds’ management template.

“This can be said to be the Convention as the political office holders as transient transitory political figures are not allowed by extant practice in any of the three Arms of Government to be a signatory other than ‘approving’ authority in the funds management process.

“Where there appears a lacuna not covered by the Funds Management Laws, or the convention in other arms of Governments in any matter arising in Course of implementation of Financial autonomy please fall back to the practice adopted by the National Judicial Council (NJC) inn fund management process from budget conception, bilateral with Budget office, inclusion in the Annual Budget as will be laid before the National Assembly, defence before the mandate committees, passage, Assent, release to the account of the Judiciary, syndication to the different Heads of courts by the National Judicial Council headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, advert for procurement.

“Same are the Chief Judges of states expected to do to other subject courts and Judicial bodies for thus will you escape from answering questions from Anti-corruption institutions.”