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Continuation of Heated Budget Deliberations: NAPAS Parliamentary Sitting

 


The NAPAS Parliamentary sitting on Friday, November 22, 2024, resumed where the last session left off, diving straight into unresolved budget debates and other pressing matters. Starting late once again due to "unforeseen circumstances," the Speaker opened with an apology before the session commenced with a prayer led by the Director of Sports, Badmus AbdulRahman, and a spirited rendition of the school anthem.

Roll call was conducted in an orderly fashion, starting with the Gallerians, Public Voice representatives, Executives, Honourables, and finally, Parliamentarians. With the Chief Whip absent, Honorable Ayokanmi acted in his place.

Picking Up From Where It Stopped

The Clerk began by reading the last resolution, setting the tone for the continuation of discussions. The motion from the previous meeting was adopted by the General Secretary and endorsed by Honorable Awe Mercy. However, the session soon veered into accountability matters as the Speaker expressed displeasure over the absence of the Director of Socials. While the President cited health issues as the reason, Honorable Feranmi argued that prior notice should have been given, suggesting that a formal apology letter be submitted—a motion the Speaker supported, emphasizing the need for adherence to protocol.

The PRO faced scrutiny early in the session for his perceived improper conduct and was initially instructed to work with the previous budget. After offering an apology for his behavior, he was allowed to defend his revised budget, but not without further criticism. Concerns about his reliance on the President for direction and inadequate budget analysis were raised, especially regarding the ₦35,000 allocated for data subscriptions, which the EIC opposed.

Debates Turn Critical as Plans Face Rejection

The Financial Secretary’s budget drew mixed reactions, particularly regarding a proposed "tippex" to offset potential errors, which the House rejected as unnecessary despite her offer to cover the cost herself. Discussions about replacing the financial book with Excel were also debated, with the Financial Secretary defending the book's utility in tracking departmental dues.

The Director of Welfare admitted to errors in her budget and apologized for the repeat of the occurence, while the Director of Socials apologized for arriving late due to health challenges. However, scrutiny over the proposed Welcome Back Party led to its rejection, with members citing poor communication and a lack of awareness among students as reasons to scrap the plan, the Budget for the fresher’s party after some cuts was then approved.

Any Other Business

Continuing with matters left unresolved, Honorable Slade raised concerns about the poor attendance of Honourables, noting that only six were present. He criticized the Speaker for failing to mobilize members effectively and urged her to enforce stricter attendance protocols.

In another instance, Honorable Feranmi called out the President for inappropriate dressing, which led to a brief but firm exchange. Although the President defended his attire using constitutional guidelines, he promised to dress more appropriately in the future.

Other highlights included the EIC’s concern about the fact that NAPAS CF meetings have begun to clash with the PAHP sittings, but the speaker clarified that the fault for this clash was on the part of the PAHP as in their bid to find a venue they picked the stipulated time because of their expectations that it was the best time to find venues empty, Hence the clash. Encouragingly, the President announced that three professors had shown interest in sponsoring the upcoming inter-house competition, offering a glimmer of hope amid the heated debates. Meanwhile, the Speaker addressed the ongoing issue of unavailable printed constitutions, urging the Executive to produce copies for immediate use and also consider an audit of the past administration to ensure accountability.

Conclusion and way Forward

After hours of intense deliberations, a motion to adjourn was moved by Honorable Chioma and seconded by Honorable Ayo Kanmi. The session ended with a closing prayer by the President, leaving members with much to ponder before the next sitting.

 

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