The House of Representatives has declared that its decision to initiative impeachment proceedings against President Goodluck Jonathan if he fails to comply with its directives on 100 percent implementation of the budget by September is irrevocable.
The lawmakers, arising from its last Thursday’s plenary which discussed extensively on the snail speed implementation of the 2012 Appropriation Act, by President Jonathan and the attendant ultimatum issued, said that if by September 30 when the House resume from recess, there is no marked improvement, the House would be left with no choice than to initiative impeachment proceedings.
The lawmakers said they were not unaware of the comments as well the deliberate plan by the Presidency to misinform the public on the rationale behind their nationalistic stand.
House Chairman, Media and Publicity, Zakari Mohammed, in a statement on Monday said the lawmakers’ decision was fired by the fact that the growth in the economy has not reflected in the well being of Nigerians.
He said: “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 chose 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.”
The spokesman also noted faulted reasons adduced by the Presidency as being behind the impeachment moves of the lawmakers, saying, “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 lawmakers 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,” he stated.
Culled: The Nation
