“Budget in Nigeria has become a yearly ritual. The Appropriation Act is observed more in the breach than in execution. “It is time to remind us all that Appropriation Act is a law passed by the National Assembly and assented by the President. It is not a document of convenience to be executed as officials deem necessary.
“It is a solemn legal commitment of government to intervene in various areas of need of our people. “It is the instrument of infrastructural and economic development. The budget allocates resources and guides governmental activities in a given year.
“When this House insists on budget implementation by the executive, it is never meant to witch-hunt anybody.” The Speaker said the House was pushing for the implementation of Appropriation Act because the budget remained the only way representatives could touch the lives of their constituents.
“Budget implementation is the only way Nigerians can feel the direct impact of government in their daily lives. Our people have given us a clear mandate to represent them and advance their interest.
We are resolved to fulfill the terms of that contract, and to do so with integrity and honour. “We cannot continue to pay lip service to the idea of a better Nigeria, rid of the twin evils of poverty and disease. What do we show our people at the end of our tenure as our achievements? In what specific ways can we show our people that we have contributed to their economic, social and political well-being?
“Can we in good conscience go back to our people after four years to ask for yet another mandate if we are unable to show what we have done? This is the challenge facing us as elected representatives,” he added. He said the decision of the Presidency to monitor performance of ministries and agencies was in tune with a long-held conviction of the House.
He said: “May I also acknowledge the performance contract initiated by Mr. President to regulate the conduct of ministers. “This performance contract is a vindication of our position and resolution on budget implementation. “With specific reference to the 2012 budget, we have asked all committees of the House to collate information on the level of funding and implementation by various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.”
The House had, before it adjourned for a two-month recess on July 19, issued a warning to the President to implement the 2012 budget 100 per cent by September or face impeachment on their resumption.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers yesterday demanded the sack of embattled Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Director-General, Ms. Arunma Oteh.
Oteh
A motion reminding the House of its resolution on July 19, 2012 recommending Oteh’s removal by the President was passed after a short debate. The motion, sponsored by Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai, regretted that nearly two months after the resolution on Oteh was served the President, nothing was yet to be done to ask her to leave office on allegations of official misconduct.
“This resolution of the House was conveyed to the Executive arm of the Federal Government on July 19, 2012, by the Clerk of the National Assembly, CNA. “The resolution, among other issues, requested the President to terminate the appointment of Ms. Arunma Oteh, the Director-General, DG, of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, for being unqualified by law to serve as the DG of SEC, for incompetence and inability to manage the Commission and regulatory failures, which may lead to the collapse of the Capital Market, if unchecked,” Ossai reminded the plenary.
The House, in its motion yesterday, said it was “worried that the President recalled Ms. Arunma Oteh from suspension immediately the report of the Ad hoc Committee, which indicted her was made public, in flagrant contempt of the House and the feelings of the Nigerian people and investors who lost money in the capital market.”
The lawmakers also said they were worried that despite the fact that “the staff of Securities and Exchange Commission protested the recall of Oteh and even the letter by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, recalling her, cautioned her against flouting of the extant rules and administrative procedures in the conduct of all official transactions,” the “president has repeatedly refused to implement important resolutions”.
The House thereby resolved that in line with sections 3(2) (a) and section 38(1)(b), 2 and 3, and section 315 of the Investment and Securities Act(ISA), 2007, sack the DG SEC for incompetence and non-qualification to hold the office.
The House also warned that, “the House of Representatives or any of its Committees shall henceforth, cease to accord any recognition or deal with Ms. Arunma Oteh as Director- General of Securities and Exchange Commission.” The House also directed its Committee on Legislative Compliance to, within 14 days report to the House on the compliance to the directive to the President.
It will be recalled that the House had had a protracted battle with the SEC DG in the course of its three-month investigations into the cause of the capital market crash.
The probe sessions which began with a substantive Committee on Capital Market, headed by the Hon. Herman Hembe, degenerated into a fiasco following an allegation by Oteh that legislators had demanded bribes from her for which Hembe is facing trial. Hon. Ibrahim Tukur Elsudi would later take over the probe and end it on a shuddering note, where Oteh was marked for sack on the basis of incompetence.
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