2015 budget: Reps overrule bid to stop Jonathan osundefender.org/?p=200389 The House of Representatives on Tuesday overruled moves to stall the 2015 budget by giving a nod to President Goodluck Jonathan to delegate any official of government to present the estimates to lawmakers. Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is set to present the estimates to the National Assembly on Wednesday. But, his decision to delegate the minister instead of coming to do the presentation himself led to a protest that could have stalled the budget. Shortly after the Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, read a letter from Jonathan requesting the approval of the House for Okonjo-Iweala to present the estimates today, some members raised voices against it. Leading the protests, House Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, said the practice over time was for the President himself to present the estimates to a joint session of the National Assembly. However, he observed that since 2013, Jonathan had formed the habit of delegating the minister to do the presentation on his behalf. He argued that while his excuse of being out of the country last year during the budget presentation could be overlooked, his decision to delegate it again this year was questionable. “Why is the minister coming again when the President is very much in the country? “The way we are going, we don’t want a situation whereby the parliament will be disregarded to a point where a Personal Assistant to Mr. President will present the budget estimates to us one day,” Gbajabiamila added. The All Progressives Congress legislator from Lagos State, had hardly rounded off his points when House Deputy Majority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, opposed him. Ogor, a Peoples Democratic Party member from Delta State, used the cover of the 1999 Constitution to counter the submission of the APC leader. He noted that while Section I of the Constitution recognised its ‘supremacy’, Section 81 specifically mandated the President to “cause” the budget estimates to be prepared and laid before the National Assembly. “It does not say the President ‘shall’ be the one to present the budget estimates. “So, it is inconsequential for the minority leader to come under privilege to argue that the minister cannot do the presentation,” Ogor stated. Ogor’s position was greeted with applause from the floor, an indication that he gave the correct position of the law. Tambuwal intervened to further give Jonathan backing by making it clear that the President was not under compulsion to make the presentation personally. According to the speaker, the President can choose not to observe the “parliamentary tradition” of presenting the estimates in person, adding that his choice of presentation should not stall the estimates. He spoke more, “The provision (of the constitution) does not say it is the President. “Of course, parliamentary tradition expects him to present the estimates, but if he decides to go the other way, we must not be seen to be forcing the President to do so.” Another APC lawmaker from Kano State, Mr. Ali Madaki, also came up with another point of privilege to argue that the 2015-2017 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework must first be approved before receiving the budget estimates from Jonathan. Again, Madaki’s protest, like Gbajabiamila’s, failed, as Tambuwal overruled him. The speaker explained that while it was the proper procedure to pass the MTEF before taking the budget, in the prevailing circumstances, time was not enough to follow that protocol. He directed that the minister should go ahead to present the estimates , though the House would in compliance with the law, first approve the MTEF before considering the budget itself. Findings showed that Okonjo-Iweala, who rushed to the National Assembly early on Tuesday before the start of sitting, had met with the leadership of the House for over one hour. The meeting was said to have discussed the “peculiar nature” of the 2015 budget, particularly the challenges posed by the tumbling prices of crude oil on the international market. One member, who attended the meeting, said, “There are revenue challenges and there is the problem of time. “The budget is already behind schedule; there is crude oil price instability. “The minister wanted the leadership to appreciate all of this before bringing the budget estimates and to solicit the understanding of the House.” In Jonathan’s letter to the House, he said “extra-ordinary global circumstances” in the later part of this year, had forced government to tinker with the crude oil benchmark of the budget a number of times. For example, he stated that from the initial benchmark of $78 he first submitted in September, he had slashed it to $73 and later $65 per barrel again. Jonathan added that the 2015 budget benchmark would be $65 per barrel, but he did not rule out the fact that government would continue to make adjustments in line with the realities of crude oil prices. Part of his letter read, “We would like to confirm that having submitted these budget estimates, we are not proposing further revision of the oil benchmark price. “Though prices continue to be extremely volatile at present and to trend further downwards, there are indications, based on the price intelligence we have at this time, that prices may range between US$65 – US$70 a barrel in 2015. “Nevertheless, we would like to emphasise that there is no iron clad guarantee where oil prices are concerned due to numerous underlying global geo-political factors that are outside our control and unpredictable. Should prices fall below the range, the country would have to make further adjustments.”
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 17:54:20 +0000
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