Do you approve of President Olusegun Obasanjo's handling of Nigeria's economy?
Disquiet in House Over Lagos Barbeach N200m Virement
From Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja, 11.18.2004
A resolution of the House of Representatives approving the motion for the virement of the sum of N200 million allocated in the budget 2004 for curbing the Lagos Barbeach from overflowing for the completion of projects in four northern states yesterday caused disquiet in the House. Members from the South-west, who participated in yesterday's session, walked out and threatened to stop attending other House sessions while expressing readiness to seek judicial action that would halt the funding of the virement by the executive. The South-west caucus members, cutting across party lines, also alleged marginalisation by the House leadership and demanded for redress. But the House Leader, Hon. Abdul Ningi, who reacted on behalf of the leadership, expressed shock and disappointment while cautioning members against inflaming ethnic sentiments in the House. Honourable Jeff Ojinaka, a member of the House Committee on Appropriation and Finance, acting on behalf of his chairman, Hon. Gabriel Suswan, moved that the N200m earmarked for the Lagos barbeach in the Budget 2004 be relocated to enable the Ministry of Environment deploy the fund for on-going projects in Katsina, Borno, Yobe and Jigawa states. He argued that the budgeted amount for the barbeach was inadequate to curb the menace, which he explained would cost the Federal Government N30 billion. Ojinaka noted that the Ministry of Environment was asking the National Assembly for virement of the N200m in order for the on-going projects, which included establishment of 100 hectres range land in Katsina State at N42m; another 100 hectres rangeland in Borno State at N42m; stabilising of 40 hectres sand dune in Yobe and Borno states at N48 million each; and, Oases inventory and determination of hydraulic characters of each Oasis in Jigawa and Borno States at N20 million. He recalled Section 3 of the 2004 Appropriation Act which provides that if the projects provided for in the budget cannot be implemented without virement, such would not be done without the approval of the National Assembly. Ojinaka then urged his colleagues to support his motion and approve the virement. He was seconded by the House Committee on Environment chairman, Hon. Emeka Atuma. Ningi described the Lagos barbeach menace as a national problem that should be treated with the seriousness it deserves, adding that the N200 million earmarked for it in the 2004 was inadequate. He, however, charged his colleagues to provide for the amount that would enable its takeoff in Budget 2005, in which he said about N2bn has been provided. But Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila moved against the motion on the ground that it was not enough to relocate the fund to other projects because what was provided appeared small. Noting that the action of the House would generate ill feelings if the motion was passed, Gbajabiamila recalled that the House had last Wednesday turned down a demand for the virement of fund from one geo-political zone to another. Expressing support for the position of Gbajabiamila, Hon. Chudi Offodile, said if the fund allocated to the barbeach project was meagre, it should be returned to the treasury. Hon. Depo Oyedokun, however, stated that if the motion was passed, it would harm the unity of the country alleging that the barbeach project was deliberately underfunded to allow for virement. He said that the same fund be deployed to other ecological problem areas in the South-west but Atuma countered that virement of fund for projects that were not budgeted was not permissible under the 2004 Appropriation Act. Before the Speaker, Aminu Bello Masari put the motion to a voice vote, Hon. Bala Ibn Na'Alla moved to draw the attention of the House to what he called the "unpaliamentary language" of Oyedokun. Masari then put the question and the "ayes" were carried but the South-west members at this stage walked out of the House. They called for a press conference where the Alliance for Democracy (AD) Leader, Wunmi Bewaji, said the action of the House was divisive and "capable of causing a lot of destabilisation in the country. "It is a kind of satanic corruption to subvert the South-west. We will not allow it to happen. We are here to protect the interest of our people. We have decided that we are going to fight it to a logical conclusion," he said, alleging that the motion was not procedural. "We call on Masari to call his cohorts to order failing which the South-west caucus will start boycotting plenary sessions. We supported his speakership and if our staying is not recognised, we shall start drawing the lines. "We are giving them seven days to redress the situation. After the seven days, we would take action in court to retrain disbursement of the fund. The money belongs to us and not the Speaker. "We have worked together but he is using his office as Speaker to divert projects to his area," Bewaji alleged. Ningi, who later spoke with newsmen in the company of other House members, said, "We are shocked, dismayed and disappointed that they (South-west Caucus) came for cheap popularity. "We are not addressing issues based on geo-political sentiments. Every aspect of the constitution and the House rules were strictly adhered to and the issue was thoroughly debated. "It is tragic for them to say they would boycott sessions. They would be the losers if they carry on with their sentiments. The virement was on notice even before we went on Sallah recess. The implication of their action is that members may not accede to virements. "They want the budget broken into six parts based on the geo-political zones. In the 2005 Budget, South-west has 35 per cent of the nation's water projects. We should run away from this type of sentiments," Ningi said.
Axiom PSI Yam Festival Series, Iri Ji Nd'Igbo the Kola-Nut Series,Nigeria Masterweb
Norimatsu| Nigeria Forum |
Biafra | Biafra
Nigeria | BLM | Hausa Forum
| Biafra
Web | Voice of
Biafra | Okonko Research and Igbology| | Igbo World | BNW | MASSOB | Igbo
Net | bentech | IGBO FORUM
| HAUSANET (AWUSANET) | AREWA FORUM
| YORUBANET | YORUBA FORUM
| New Nigeriaworld | WIC:World Igbo Congress
