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House requests extra bill on poverty fund from Obasanjo Guardian 2000-01-26 PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo has been told that he cannot spend the N10 billion he has earmarked for poverty alleviation measures without presenting a supplementary appropriation bill. The House of Representatives in a letter by the Speaker, Alhaji Umar Ghali Naaba, to the president said the plan by him to spend the N10 billion was an oversight pointing out that the president merely addressed the joint session instead of presenting a supplementary appropriation bill. Also, the House observed that the president cannot invoke section 82 of the constitution to spend any money because it was not contained in the appropriation bill. The representatives, The Guardian learnt, were also angry that the president has refused to present a finance bill to the assembly before announcing tariff policy. On employment generation, the president on Thursday told the assembly that he had earlier sought the approval of the Senate President and the House Speaker on the need to add N10 billion to his earlier N470 billion proposal for employment generation purposes. According to him: It is envisaged that the measures will create not less than 200,000 jobs throughout the country, with a minimum of 5,000 jobs being created in each state of the federation. Section 82 of the constitution empowers the president to spend six months appropriation without National Assembly's approval. President Obasanjo announced that the necessary authorisation for this has been signed. The government, according to him, will start the implementation of the proposal from next month. But the House said the president will be breaching the constitution if he spends the N10 billion as part of the N470 billion proposal since the additional projection N10 billion is not part of the original 2000 appropriation bill, nor did the president present the proposal as part of a supplementary bill. At the sitting yesterday, some members took a swipe at the president for allegedly violating the constitution. Mr Nduka Irabor Ika North East and South; Delta PDP described as unsatisfactory the executives expenditure made so far in the 1999 supplementary budget even before the budget was passed. He said the presidents defence on why he had to begin to spend money before the bills passage was insufficient, watery, does not hold water and cannot be accepted by the House. Another member said that the second supplementary budget be added to the year 2000 one and be deliberated upon for approval once and for all since the public thinks the House is stalling the budget. Nze Chidi Duru Aguata, Anambra: PDP urged members not to approve the bill, arguing that its approval will undermine the countrys nascent democracy. He accused the president of violating the constitution, citing the Peoples Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Industrial Development Bank NIDB scrapping, the sacking of Nigerian Investment Promotions Council NIPC boss, deployment of troops to Odi, shoot on sight order, etc., as instances of flagrant disregard by the president for the rule of law and without recourse to the House. He appealed to the legislators not to be manipulated to approve a bill which has already been partly implemented without the Houses approval. He added: If we loose the control of the nations ports, we have no business to be here as lawmakers. We must not allow him to stampede us into rendering an illegal action legal. It may be used as a tool for blackmail in future. Duru asked: How could the President tell Nigerians that he is alleviating poverty with N10 billion not yet approved by citing section 82 out of context? When the applause which greeted Durus contribution ended, Oladipo Olaitan invited his colleagues to please read section 82 of the constitution with him saying that it only empowers the president to spend money on necessary services reflected on the recurrent aspect of governments expenditure. Then he criticised President Obasanjo's extra-budgetary expenditures noting: I dont think he is conversant with the constitution. This man is dangerous. He is an extension of military rule. There is no difference between him and Abacha. We either stop him or history will judge us. Abdulahi Musa Chanchaga, Niger: PDP punctured Obasanjo's main excuse for spending money out of an unapproved budget. He queried: How can he tell us that he did that to save 3,000 jobs in Julius Berger when it is on record that they sacked 5,000 workers even before he paid the N12 billion to the company? He has allowed the German government to arm-twist him before his recent visit to the country. For Linda Ikeazu Onitsha North South; Anambra: APP: We swore to defend the constitution. We cannot condone a dictator who has no respect for separation of powers. We cannot afford to have a civilian dictator for the era of even military dictatorship is supposed to be over and gone for ever. If we legalise an illegality, we will become partners in contravening the constitution. Ahead of the Houses decision on the bill today, leader Alhaji Mohammed Wakil told {The Guardian that the 1999 supplementary budget and that of year 2000 would be approved expediently. He said this will be done for the interest and progress of the country, but the money already expended by the president without due approval may not be approved. The president must be made to appreciate the principles of separation of powers with the necessary checks and balances, he said. Alhaji Abdullahi Gumel Gumel, Jigawa: PDP received sustained applause from the House when he said: Enough is enough. It is time for the House to begin impeachment proceedings against the president.

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