We Refuse To Be Rubber Stamp Lawmakers – Senator Ashafa

The opposition party, All Progressives Congress, APC, was, recently, under attack following the directive to its lawmakers at the National Assembly to block the passage of the 2014 Budget, the confirmation of Mr. President’s ministerial nominees and service chiefs. APC Interim National Chairman, Bisi Akande, at its National Executive Committee meeting, directed the party’s lawmakers to block all Executive Bills and confirmation of the President’s nominees to protest what he described as the Presidency’s complicity in the crisis in Rivers State controlled by the party.
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“In view of the joint resolutions of the National Assembly on Rivers State, and other constitutional breaches by the Presidency, the APC hereby directs its members in the National Assembly to block all legislative proposals, including the 2014 budget and confirmation of all nominees to military and civilian positions to public office, until the rule of law and constitutionalism is restored in Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria in general”, the Interim Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated.
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This statement was condemned by members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which they considered as a threat to democracy.
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Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, in his reaction to the development, lambasted the PDP.
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“The move to block executive Bills is a legitimate tool Mto bring the executive to the table to have a negotiated compromise in order to go forward”, the governor said.
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“But let me say here without any shadow of doubt that the three arms of government in the theory of separation of powers recognize the need for every arm of governments, the executive, legislature and the judiciary, as a check on the other. In the process of that check, institutionally, traditionally, the legislature has found, as a legitimate weapon, the withdrawal of cooperation from the executive in order to bring a belligerent executive back onto the negotiation table, and, as they always say that nobody can claim to ownership of Nigeria and when appeals and letters fail, the legitimate tool is the use of the power of cooperation or the withdrawal of cooperation”.
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The Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Housing, Lands and Urban Development, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, also came out stoutly in support of the directive, saying it is in order and in best interest of Nigerians.
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Ashafa, representing Lagos East Senatorial District, while speaking on the floor of the Senate, after being called upon by Senate President David Mark to make his contribution, during the ongoing debate on the 2014 Budget presented by the Federal Government, urged the lawmakers not to allow themselves to be made “rubber stamp legislators.”
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“The National Assembly, in line with its statutory functions enshrined in Section 59 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, should critically review this year’s budget proposal with the main aim of making absolutely sure that it addresses the plight of the common man that gave them their sacred mandate to be in the positions they are in today, they owe this to them without recourse”, the senator said.
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“I want to call the attention of the Senate to the justification of how money from the Excess of the Crude Account for 2012 and 2013 had been illegally withdrawn and spent by the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, without reference to the National Assembly in flagrant violation of Section 8 (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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“Also, there is declining percentage of Capital Expenditure to Recurrent Expenditure in the past three years meaning that there will be continuous reduction in the rate of growth, job creation, development and quality of life for an average Nigerian.
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“I wonder why we had the the allocation of N10 billion for cassava bread in the 2013 Budget and the bread is not readily available on the streets for the average Nigerian except those that visit the Presidency.
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“Also, the sharp deviation of the 2014 Budget presented by the Minister from the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) which, invariably, makes the 2014 Budget illegal. My candid opinion is that the 2014 Budget should be returned to sender.”