•APC members Muniru Hakeem (left), Babhatunde Adewale, newly defected members Ahmed Dogara and Emmanuel Jime and other members Kamil Akinlabi John Dyegh and Saheed Akinade Fijabi, celebrating the defection of PDP Reps at the National Assembly Abuja...yesterday. Photo Abayomi Fayese

Why we won’t support budget, by APC Reps

All Progressives Congress (APC) Representatives explained yesterday why they would not support the 2014 budget.

The budget, consideration was stepped down on Tuesday by the House and replaced with the consideration of the Report of the adhoc Committee on the alteration of the Constitution.

It was thought to be a strategy by the House leadership to clear the tension generated by the APC’s directive that its members should block the consideration of the budget and other executive bills.

At a news conference in Abuja, the APC lawmakers, led by the Minority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, said it intended to use filibustering or stalling executive Bills, to “protest the culture of impunity, immorality and illegality” of the government.

He said: “Let us be categorical, we intend to continue to protest the culture of impunity, immorality and illegality this government insists in entrenching in our system. We intend to insist on good governance; we intend to stand firm on our oath of office to defend the constitution and discharge our legislative duties in the interest of the people of Nigeria.

“Good governance is the end goal and filibustering or stalling executive Bills is the means and we believe that, in this case, the end definitely justifies the means.

“On the budget, we will not support a budget that does nothing for the people we represent. We will not rubber stamp a budget that seeks to borrow more money at ridiculous rates and further impoverish the country. Indeed we refuse to support a budget that comes in with a huge deficit.

“We certainly do not agree with a budget that allocates a pitiable 25 per cent to capital expenditure, which capital component will only be implemented 30 per cent whilst recurrent will be implemented 100 per cent. How in the world do you stimulate an economy the size and population of Nigeria with a 25 per cent allocation to capital?

“We cannot in good conscience support a budget that comes with a benchmark and siphons away 30 per cent of the country’s revenue into an illegal excess crude account in violation of the provisions of Section 162 of the Constitution we individually swore to defend, with the resultant effect of shortchanging the states we all individually represent.

“A budget where the economics do not trickle down to the common man. We do not want to be accessories after the fact by passing a budget when the president or minister of finance who has publicly admitted to the disappearance of $10 billion has not given explanations but seeks to borrow more money. And who continues to blame shortfall in revenue on crude theft by some phantom thieves.

“We refuse to participate in what has become an annual ritual and approving a document in the name of passing a budget that tells a lie about the true state of our finances and liquidity and where our revenue is being deflated by about N500 billion annually through the fraudulent and indiscriminate grant of waivers.

“More importantly, we will not be party to the appropriation of funds and taxpayers’ money to a police force that will turn around and use same to maim and kill the same taxpayers. No; we will not.”

The lawmakers blamed President Goodluck Jonathan for breaking tradition and bringing “disdain and contempt for the budgeting process and Nigerians” by denying Nigerians “opportunity of hearing their President address the country on the state of the nation, the performance of the last budget and the contents and objectives of the new budget”.

They described it as “a crying shame and another shade of impunity”.

The APC lawmaker, however, said they had noted that salaries of many innocent Nigerians are tied to the budget.

“However, we will do all we can to address this Catch 22. We will hope that our progressive colleagues will agree to an ingenious and creative idea like we did through the doctrine of necessity to isolate the recurrent expenditure and, perhaps for the first time, pass a recurrent budget.

“This is just one idea. We are open to many more from all Nigerians. Nigerians who see the end goal and understand it.”

Gbajabiamila said while the focus remained the event in Rivers State, “our broad and overall concern remains good governance and covers the whole gamut of our national life”.

However, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Caucus in the House of Representatives, led by Hon. Uche Ekwunife, after a meeting, said it had resolved “to condemn and reject in its entirety, recent calls by the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the blockage of the passage of the 2014 national budget and other Executive Bills.

In a statement by the Caucus, signed by Ekwunife, supported by Victor Afam Ogene, Chukwuemeke Nwogbo, Cyril Egwuatu and Chris Azubogu, the lawmakers said: “Indeed, we decry and deplore current moves to polarise the House and divert it from the broad objectives of making life more meaningful for the generality of Nigerians, as the contrived budget stand-off would seem to suggest.

“ Need we remind everyone that though political party affiliation, tribe and tongue may differ, we remain united in the pursuit of one singular goal: the peace, welfare and well-being of all Nigerians.”