Budget: Senator accuses Executive of removing N/Assembly powers

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, said vital sections of the 2013 Appropriation Act, which define the oversight powers of the National Assembly, were removed by the Executive in the proposal submitted by President Goodluck Jonathan.

He made the allegation known on Saturday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, while delivering a lecture at a retreat.

He said the lawmakers observed the omissions and promptly restored them before passing the amendments.

Enang said the amendments attempted to erode the oversight powers of the National Assembly and give the Executive the powers to implement the budget the way it wanted.

“After the passage, the Minister of Finance and the Executive will just do without the legislature,” he said.

Enang added that one of the clauses deleted stated: “Notwithstanding the Section 19 of the Finance Control and Management Act, and Section 1 of the 2012 Appropriation Act of the time being enforced, all funds unutilised, unexecuted and unimplemented capital expenditure component of the 2012 Appropriation Act shall be rolled over and shall continue to form part of the 2013, provided that the unutilised capital expenditure component of the 2012 budget shall pass on this date.”

According to him, the implication of the removal is that funds would have been so treated without recourse to the law and the National Assembly.

Other clauses he alleged were deleted from the Act included the one directing the Accountant-General of the Federation to maintain a separate record for the documentation of revenue in excess of the oil price benchmark.

Enang said the provision, which dealt with the Excess Crude Account directing that it should be opened with the Central Bank of Nigeria was deleted, claiming that the Executive did not want to comply with the provision.

He said another provision stipulating that the Accountant-General shall forward to the National Assembly the full details of funds released to government agencies immediately such funds were released was deleted.

Enang said, “They deleted it because they did not want this section to be in the Act again. And since January, the Executive has not complied with this provision. They have not complied with even one quarter of this provision.”

He said the clause directing the Minister of Finance to ensure that funds appropriated under the Act were remitted to the appropriate agencies and organs of government as and when due every quarter shall be and shall be furnished to the National Assembly was also deleted.

Also  deleted according to the senator was the section charging the department in charge of public procurement to ensure that all projects were approved within the specified period.