Despite spirited efforts by the Executive to douse rising tension over the shoddy implementation of the 2012 budget, the House of Representatives insists that its resolution on the Appropriation Act stands.
The House, at its plenary on July 19, 2012, resolved to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Goodluck Jonathan if his administration does not achieve 100 percent implementation of the budget by September.
Rattled by the action, the executive arm of government has engaged in moves to appease the lawmakers, including the latest attempt by the Aviation Minister to ferry some of the lawmakers abroad on investment tour, which they promptly rejected.
Speaking Sunday Vanguard, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, insisted that its July 19, resolution had not changed despite the explanations by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Mohammed said that since the resolution was adopted at plenary, another resolution was needed to change the position of the lawmakers.
The House spokesman said, “One thing is very clear from all the things they have said: the budget has been abysmally implemented and we are not happy about it.
“It is alright for some to say that we have soft pedaled on the matter but let them wait for our members to resume.
No member of the House can override a resolution and there is nothing anyone can do until another resolution is adopted on the matter.”
The Senate also summoned the finance minister and grilled her for over three hours last Thursday on the budget implementation.
But what appeared as a reprieve came the way of the minister when Senate President David Mark declared that the ‘rift’ between the lawmakers and the executive had been exaggerated and called for restraint. Mark said what the ordinary Nigerian needs is food on his table and not the percentage of budget implementation.
We are guiding the executive – Mustapher
Meanwhile the Vice-Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Up stream), Hon. Moshood Mustapha, who represents Ilorin West/Asa federal constituency, says the legislature was only guiding the executive on how the budget should be implemented in issuing the impeachment threat, adding that budget implementation should not be selective.
Mustapha, who said that party affiliation and legislative duties should be separated, explained that PDP members in the National Assembly were not out to rock the boat “but to ensure that already budgeted infrastructure and projects in their respective constituencies are executed by the executive”.
On the security challenges facing the county, he said that the Boko Haram insurgency is a domestic problem that is alien to the country, saying that the problem should be solved by Nigerians themselves.
While advocating dialogue to resolve the imbroglio, the legislator cautioned Nigerians against making inflammatory statements on the issue, “so that the present security problem does not lead to disintegration”.
