APC Members Tactically Stalled 2014 Budget In House Of Reps

MEMBERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, tactically stalled the debates on the general principles of the 2014 budget of N4.6 trillion, saying that the budget run foul of provisions of Section 21 (1,2,3) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

It will be recalled that the budget was presented to the National Assembly by the Coordinating Minister of Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on December 19, 2013.

The APC members in the House, at the plenary session on Tuesday, insisted that it would block the passage of 2014 budget as directed by its party leadership.

The House Leader, Honourable Mulikat Akande-Adeola, had hardly moved for debates on the general principles of the 2014 budget when a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Honourable Emmanuel Jime, who recently defected to APC, raised a point of order.

The development, however, forced the Speaker, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, to set up a six-man committee to look at the point of order raised by the APC lawmaker before the debate on the general principle of the 2014 budget estimates would commence, while he gave the committee 24 hours to submit its report.

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Honourable Jime had earlier based his point of order on provision of Section 21 (1,2,3) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, saying that the 2014 budget estimates was against the provisions of the Act.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the point of order raised by the lawmaker had been articulated at a meeting by the APC caucus, before it was raised by Honourable Jime on Tuesday.

According to him, government corporation and government-owned companies such as the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and close to 20 others, failed to include their budget estimates for the year for consideration by the National Assembly, as specified by the FRA.

Honourable Jime noted that the  failure of NNPC to present its budget to the Minister of Finance for onward delivery to the National Assembly had been adduced to the controversy that trailed the alleged missing $10.8 million from NNPC.

On the 2014 budget estimates, he said “what we have is the abridged summary of this estimate. We cannot accept the minister’s summary of the budget.

“We must never accept the breach of our law. This particular budget presentation was a breach of our law and we cannot continue to have the executive arm of government to continue to breach our laws. History is going to judge this parliament for standing on what is just.”

However, the speaker called on chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Honourable John Enoh, to address the issue raised by Honourable Jime.

In his submission, Honourable Enoh, said “I disagree with what my colleague said that the budget breached any law whatsoever. There is no time any member of this House has raised objection in the course of this national budget that the budget of NNPC, CBN, others must be brought.

“The budget of any country is the most important document of that country. It is not a matter of convenience. It is a matter of importance. So, the consideration should go ahead.”

On NNPC, CBN and other government revenue generating agencies budgets, Honourable Enoh insisted that it was the duty of House committees concerned to scrutinise the budgets before submission of its recommendations for passage by the House.

The Speaker, while ruling on the point of order, said “when a point of order is raised, it is not normally expected to be debated, but because of the sensitivity of the matter at hand and the need for us to get more information, that is why I yielded the floor to chairman, House Committee on Appropriation.

“And let us not forget that what Honourable Jime raised is a matter of point of law, whether there has been compliance with the provision of Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, who is in charge of receipt and distribution of the budget estimates, has alluded to the fact that in his own view, the point of law has been met.

“Now, I will beg of you and I will announce their names, so that people can take their names and know the persons I am talking about, to look at this issue and advise the presiding officer.

“Accordingly, they are Honourable Albert Sam-Tsokwa, chairman House Committee on Rules and Business; his deputy, Sunday Adepoju; Aminu Shehu Shagari, Chairman, Committee on Judiciary; his deputy, Ken Chikere; chairman, House Committee on Justice, Ali Ahmad and his deputy, Chukwuemeke Nwogbo.

“These six people, I hereby give you 24 hours to advise the presiding officer on this ruling at hand.”

Immediately after the ruling, members of the APC started clapping and shouting APC!

Commenting on the development, a member of APC from Edo State, Honourable Rasaq Bello Osagie, noted that “for a budget like this to sail, the Fiscal Responsibility Act is very clear about what must be done within the framework of legality of this budget, that you (the executive arm of government) must submit to the National Assembly along with the budget estimates, details of the estimates of those corporation and agencies of government, the idea is to have informed position on these agencies.

“But what we have seen over the years is the culture of impunity and Section 21 (1,2,3) and even our own standing order in the House, Order 12 rule 37 is very, very clear that the details of this estimate must accompany the budget and we have not seen that.”

Meanwhile, the House has adjourned plenary session till Tuesday next week, to allow members of APC to participate in their party registration exercise.