Comments on the National Assembly over the 2013 amended budget by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has earned her a summon by the House of Representatives.
Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala is to appear before the lawmakers over her assertion that the economy will collapse in September if the National Assembly refuses to approve the 2013 Budget amendment bill President Goodluck Jonathan sent to it.
The decision of the House followed the adoption of the prayers of a motion by a member, Samson Osagie, under matters of national importance,
The House of Representatives recently rejected a bill by President Goodluck Jonathan amending the 2013 budget of N4.987 trillion passed by the National Assembly on the premise that Jonathan was not specific on areas of amendment.
But the President quickly sent another amendment highlighting areas of critical interest meant for amendment.
A newspaper yesterday quoted Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala as saying on a radio programme that the Federal Government may be handicapped in paying workers’ salaries should the budget amendment bill not be passed expeditiously.
She said: “We have been able to implement the budget to a state that we now discovered that there has to be some amendment. So, Mr President sent the amendments to the National Assembly. I think we can continue for a little while longer; we need the amendment to pass because come September or October we may not be able to pay salaries.
“One important part of the amendment is the salary that was moved out of that category to other subheads, which has to be restored. We need to restore N36billion for salary that was carried out so that the country will not shut down.”
Osagie said the minister was raising a false alarm to incite the public against the National Assembly.
“Assertion is intended not only to blackmail the National Assembly in the performance of its constitutional mandate, but also to incite Nigerian workers against a legitimate and most important institution of government – the National Assembly.”
He reminded the House that there is a subsisting and valid appropriation Act duly signed into law by the President, which is the operating budget for Nigeria for the financial year 2013.
He expressed worry “that the Minister of Finance had consistently insulted the sensibilities of the institution of the National Assembly through her constant umbrage and blackmail of this institution”.
Osagie said rather than diverting the attention of the public from its failings, the executive must implement the budget passed into law and not stop.
Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, who presided at the session, mandated the committees on Finance , Appropriation and Legislative Compliance to invite the minister and investigate if she really made such comments.
The joint committee is to report back to the House within a week.
Source: The Nation
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