Follow Us on Google
Not many Nigerians are happy with the House of Representatives, no thanks to certain steps taken by the House in recent times. To be honest, there aren’t many instances, where the citizenry has been ecstatic or even happy with members of the National Assembly. This is because the legislative arm is largely still that leg of government which is alien to a defining percentage of the populace. Since the return of democracy, millions from the creeks to the savannah have performed their civic duty by queuing to vote- in members of the National Assembly, but they hardly understand how exactly the legislature has contributed to the development and progress of the country. Regrettably, incursions of the military into governance with the legislature seizing to exist under the command and control structure, has resulted in this arm of government looking much like a strange contraption to the man on the street or even the executives in upscale offices on the high streets.
To worsen matters, over time, the scandals from the National Assembly have painted lawmakers in rainbow-like hue, with many not having the best things to say about ‘honorables’ and senators. Up to the 8th Assembly, where those in the system would agree that dollar filled ‘Ghana Must Go’ bags aren’t flying around like before, lawmakers are viewed as a flamboyant, over paid lot, who do very little work. And this probably explains why each time there is confrontation between the executive and the legislature, the people are predictably more sympathetic to the former.
The bitter war of words between both arms over the N7.44 trillion 2017 budget has again seen the National Assembly boxing with its back against the ropes, insisting that it has the power to tinker with the budget. Nigerians are up in arms, that money was taken from major projects such as the Mambilla hydropower project, the second Niger Bridge and the Lagos-Ibadan Express Road to fund an array of LGA level projects such as boreholes. In reaction, the House joined the Senate in chastising Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for saying it was improper for National Assembly to introduce new projects into the Appropriation bill during its consideration. When on June 15, the statements of the Acting President was raised by a member, Lawal Abubakar under matters of privilege, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, led his colleagues in schooling the professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria on the doctrine of the separation of Powers. He maintained that the framers of the Constitution vested the powers of law making in the legislature, execution or implementation in the executive, while the Judiciary interprets the law -so as to ensure checks and balances. While those who are exasperated by the perennial back and forth between both arms have asked that they approach the judiciary for interpretation and not hide behind legal pronouncements on cases like that instituted by Femi Falana (SAN), the lawmakers pounced on a smaller prey, the minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola. The House accused the minister of misleading the public on the budget. Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abulrazak Namdas, stressed that the minister should give Nigerians a proper explanation on the interventions made in the 2017 budget by the National Assembly. According to Namdas, some of the projects Fashola complained of lawmakers reducing and re-allocating funds allocated to them weren’t prioritised by him, judging by the budget performance of the ministry in 2016. The spokesman of the House reiterated that the National Assembly has the power of appropriation, citing Section, 4, 59, 80 and 81 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. The House also alleged that Fashola requested for the inclusion of an omnibus allocation of N20 billion to the budget of his ministry without details on what it was meant for. Fashola responded strongly, saying lawmakers have prioritised horribly by including a splattering of small projects in Federal Government’s budget, to be financed with money taken from game changing, big ticket projects. Some discerning minds maintain that the bickering is absolutely unnecessary, especially when government continues to fall way below expectations on budget implementation, with President Muhammadu Buhari scoring budget 2016 performance at a questionable 59 percent.
To the chagrin of a good number of observers penultimate week, the House resolved to summon Fashola, to appear before an Ad-hoc committee over his comments on the budgetary provisions for his ministry. In a dramatic twist, the committee to interrogate the minister is to be chaired by the sometimes, recalcitrant Aliyu Madaki, who is a staunch supporter of President Buhari even as he has never backed the Speaker. Undoubtedly, Nigerians will closely follow the proceedings of this committee, even as members will do too, owing to the intriguing choice of Madaki.
As an unflinching advocate for restructuring, I find it ridiculous to insert boreholes in the federal budget, outside the N100 billion meant for constituency projects. But it is pertinent to inform genuinely concerned individuals, that interventions in the budget cannot be simply categorised into black or white boxes. Truth is, there are many grey triangles in-between. I remember two South-West lawmakers strongly demanding an explanation from Fashola during his 2016 budget defence on why a colossal N50 billion was allocated to the Lagos-Ibadan Road, when some other federal roads in the region didn’t receive allocations that can kick-start much needed rehabilitation work. So, it wasn’t only those from outside the South-West, who felt they needed to fight for money for projects they considered important to their people even if it meant taking money from pivotal projects. Ahead of his appearance in the House, Fashola is sounding reconciliatory, telling State House correspondents on Tuesday that lawmakers are his friends. And that his disagreement with the parliament was about how best to implement government’s plans to stimulate economic recovery.
Another issue that has triggered a firestorm of criticism coming the way of the Green Chambers is a proposed legislation, Nigerians have dubbed the looters amnesty bill, sponsored by the member representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency, Linus Okorie. The Bill for an Act to Establish a Scheme to Harness Untaxed Money for Investment Purposes” is supposed to lead to the establishment of the voluntary taxable income recovery and amnesty scheme.
In the proposed legislation, from the date of the commencement of the amnesty scheme, Nigerians with ill gotten wealth, including looted funds stashed abroad will be allowed to voluntary declare them before the Central Bank of Nigeria( CBN). Following the declaration, 30 per cent of the declared sum will be paid as tax into the federation account for distribution to all the tiers of government in the country while a 25 per cent surcharge on the tax is to be invested in building infrastructure for agriculture.
Okorie isn’t new to being the lone voice even against a vociferous crowd. Remember he was the man who submitted a dissenting report on the investigation into the $18.72 billion Centenary City project by the House Committee on FCT formerly led by sacked lawmaker, Herman Hembe. The Committee still indicted Former Secretary to the Federal Government, Anyim Pius Anyim and the immediate past FCT minister, Bala Mohammed.
It is easy to predict that this bill won’t survive second reading judging by the unending reactions from the public. Really for the House to calm down Nigerians who are seething in anger towards it, members should concentrate on bills, motions and interventions that directly address the challenges of everyday people and the countless numbers just trying to make headway in a recession.
