If by September the 2012 Appropriation Act is not implemented and projects carried out to improve the lives of Nigerians, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will be impeached, the House of Representatives warned.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, the house not with dismay that while revenue generating agencies have surpassed their targets for the year, it does not reflect in the implementation of the budget.
The statement reads:
“Arising from Thursday’s 19th July 2012. Plennary which discussed extensively on the snail speed implementation of the 2012, Appropriation Act, by Mr President And the attendant ultimatum issued, that if by 30th September 2012 when the House resume from recess, there is no marked improvement, The House would be left with no choice than to initiative impeachment proceedings.
This bold and patriotic step by the Seventh “Assembly has attracted different comments from a lot of quarters, expectedly, therefore some sponsored news editorial and commentaries choose to deliberately misinform the public on the rationale behind our nationalistic stand, for the avoidance of doubt, whilst we are aware that all revenue generating agencies have surpassed their annual target by mid this year. The House is worried that this positive development did not reflect the implementation of the budget for the benefit of the Nigerian peoples.
“This trend if not arrested would worsen the already fragile state of the nation, hence the need for our quick intervention, to then insinuate that the House of Representatives took this noble step to satisfy pressure from a political party or because the Constituency projects were not awarded to members or because of the drama that followed the presentation of the fuel subsidy report, is to say the least malicious damaging and uncharitable to the image of the Assembly.
“We in the Legislature are law makers and not Contractors and that the constituency projects execution has been the exclusive preserves of the executive and its agencies, at no time has there been any argument on this. Similarly what members do in the course of the budget preparation is to furnish the respective MDAs with locations and area of needs of our constituencies. The bidding processes are handled by the supervising ministries the entire 360 members in the House are bond by the Nigerian project, our independence and objectiveness is evident in the selection of our principal officers which we did according to our thoughts. To assume that we are guided by some forces outside the House of Representatives is mischievous and a deliberate ploy to misrepresent the House before the Nigerian public.
“The 7th Assembly has distanced itself from the Hon. Farouk and Otedota case as evident in the bold steps, we took in suspending him as chairman of the both the committees on fuel subsidy and education. In addition to encouraging the law enforcement agencies to do their work according to the dictates of the law.
“To now conclude that our resolution for Thursday is borne out of selfish motives is terribly out of place, We would however continue to raise our voices to the highest ebb where we sight injustice or impunity, no amount of blackmail or intimidation would cow us to abdicate our constitutional responsibility which we signed with our employers the (Nigerian people) to stand firm and protect their interest.
“We would continue to preserve our resolve as one indivisible country.”
Hon. Zakari Mohammed.