If the truth must be told, the performance of National Assembly (NASS) members with respect to their oversight and legislative functions is not impressive. Members of the NASS spend most of their time in unproductive activities instead of utilizing their valuable time to perform their statutory functions. Assembly members in most states are not better. The imbroglio in Nasarawa state Assembly last week is a show of shame as assembly members engaged in fisticuff in their chamber.
If anyone has read the Nigerian Constitution and that of the United States, it will be seen that the “power of the purse” belongs to the National Assembly in Nigeria and the Congress in the case of the US. The “power of the purse”is “the ability of one group to manipulate and control the actions of another group by withholding funding, or putting stipulations on the use of funds.” The “power of the purse” has its pros and cons but importantly, it is given to the legislative to check the excesses of the executive arm of government from spending funds irresponsibly.
With this background, it is no mistake that the budget for any financial year must pass through the NASS because Nigeria has chosen a presidential system of government. When the budget is passed as a bill, the President must assent to the budget bill before it becomes an act. When Mr President and Commander-in-Chief, presented the 2016 Budget to NASS on 22 December 2015, Nigerians were joyous and hopeful that the economy that was prostrate would become healthy early in the first quarter of 2016.
Nigerians’ joyous moments were based on the assumption that the 2016 budget will enjoy a speedy process of passage. That was what I thought too because we are in an era of “change.”But most of us were proved wrong when there was an orgy of controversiesoccasioned by appearance and disappearance of the 2016 budget at the Senate.
Immediately I got the news of the missing budget, the entire controversy kindled my interest in the matter. That was when I concluded that the 8th NASS will not be different from those before it. This is because as some Nigerians pray and work for the collective good of Nigeria, some politiciansare busy dragging the nation backward. I have a strong feeling that some NASS members do not want this nation and its 180 million people to prosper.
Is PMB and his administration the target of the 2016 budget controversies? Yes and No. It is yes, because of the anti-corruption policy of Mr President. The political elites in our society do not want to hear the word “corruption.” It stinks. In fact, once the word “corruption” is mentioned, tempers would rise, while blood pressure upswing will be above permissible threshold. Conversely, Mr President is not the target of the 2016 budget controversies. This is because it is not the first time that the legislature and the executive arms of government are having squabbles over budget approval. Even in the best of times, these tiers of government are always at daggers drawn.
Whenthe alignment and misalignment of political forces commenced in 2014 which ultimately ended in APC sweeping PDP out of power in 2015, I was not amazed. It was not the first time the nation witnessed the exodus of politicians. The exodus of politicians from one political party to the other is always propelled by one main reason-“their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.”Why? It is because their minds are already set on earthly things. That is why most times their actions are motivated by greed.
We have an assemblage of strange bedfellows under cover of a political party called APC. Moving from PDP to APC has not helped in matters arising from poverty. It appears that NASS members are ignorant of the consequences of their actions by the display of ineptitude in performing their oversight and legislative functions on all matters including budgeting. This is a lesson for Nigerians that we must be thorough in our choice of members of state and national assemblies.If we continue to elect the same caliber of assembly members as we have today, it is at our peril.
When the misplaced 2016 Budget was eventually found, it was then NASS members realized figures in the budget was different from that which was submitted by Mr President. This ugly incident was not sufficient however, to confirm my impression that there are frenemies within the political realm in Nigeria. The nation returned to the path of controversy when Mr President was quoted as saying that he would not assent the bill. Why? It is because the NASS did not transmit the comprehensive budget to him. No sane president of a nation would assent to a budget summary without going through the details. This series of controversy which has been the hallmark of the 2016 budget confirms that there are frenemies in the NASS.
Who are these frenemies? These are politicians within the NASS who disguise as friends of the people in daytime but in the night or behind closed doors, operate asenemies. In fact, I read a report where a commentator said Nigerians should be thankful that we were not told that Nigeria is missing. The commentator’s argument was grounded on the fact that if a sensitive documentsuch as the 2016 budget could miss within the NASS, then in Nigeria anything can disappear.
If you ask me: what is the normal thing to do? I would say that the normal thing was for the legislature to have accompanied the 2016 Budget bill with detailed information when retuning it to the Presidency for assent. The members of the 8th NASS know the right thing to do. But they have deliberately done the wrong thing. Some argued however, that “if it takes the NASS this long to get the details ready, it is because of the inarticulate manner the budget was prepared. This could be true.
As I write there are media reports that the details of the 2016 budget have been forwarded to the Presidency. I hope that figures in the summary and the main document will tally. Otherwise, there will be a delay in passing the budget. By implication, suffering and smiling of the citizenry continues.
Until Mr President assents to the 2016 budget, it appears the nation is in for a budget crisis. Frenemies in the NASS should please repent as Nigerians are suffering. The executive and legislative delayis not the best for Nigeria, if budgeting is to be used as a means for controlling monetary and fiscal policies.
I will conclude by stating that the NASS is not a dumping ground for past governors who have not added value to the states they governed. The NASS should comprise members who clearly understand they need to make laws that will improve the welfare and wellbeing of the people. The year 2019 is fast approaching; the electorate should be wise not to vote only for credible individuals as president and state governors. But to vote for men and women who are of sound character, positive in outlook, and intellectually endowed to represent them in state and national assemblies.
MA Johnson
