…says Presidency needs state assemblies’ approval
The Deputy National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, has said that the All Progressives Congress is taking Nigerians for granted.
Agbo said this against the backdrop of the $1bn military fund reportedly approved by President Muhammadu Buhari for the purpose of tackling the problem of insecurity in the country.
Recall that the approval of the fund has since been generating controversy in the country.
The PDP deputy secretary, who spoke to our correspondent, argued that President Buhari did not follow due process before approving the fund.
Agbo noted that for the process to be adjudged credible, there was the need for the votes of the members of each of the state Houses of Assembly.
He said the state legislatures should be major stakeholders in determining the approval of such fund since it involved drawing from the excess crude fund that belongs, not just to the Federal Government, but also the states and the local governments.
Explaining how the approval of the fund should have gone, the PDP deputy national secretary said, “It is a wrong position for the state governors or the speakers to approve alone. The speakers cannot and will never act by voice approval on behalf of the state assemblies.
“These are issues that are supposed to be subjected to a vote in each of the parliament of the state. It will be very wrong if the Speaker speaks for the approval of the state. Any Speaker that does that risks outright removal from office.”
He maintained further that the President was expected to first put the matter before the National Assembly to enable it to seek legislative concurrence with the state assemblies.
Agbo added that the state legislatures would further debate and vote on the matter, which would be expected to be supported by two-third majority of the members.
He stated, “The funds belong not only to the Federal Government but to the state and local governments. Based on the aggregate of the totality of the demand, you now approach the President because he and he alone can now direct such request before the appropriate authority, the National Assembly.
“Remember, we are talking about a fund that is not within the budget provision. We are talking about removing from the excess crude fund that belongs not just to the Federal Government, but the states and the local governments. And if the state governors are acting on behalf of their local chapters, such request that will now remove states’ funds shouldn’t be subjected to the approval of the Federal parliaments alone, but the states as well.
“It is the National Assembly that will seek that legislative concurrence on this matter from the NASS and extend it to the various states and so they are laid on the table and debated and the votes cast. And not just simple majority; two-third majority of each parliament giving approval to the Federal Government that that which is to be contributed by their own state is thereby guaranteed and approved; not the Speaker of the House.”
Agbo, therefore, criticised the APC for “trivialising” the issue, adding that such would not help the government.
“It is very unfortunate that the government is trivialising this issue. This golden opportunity is for the APC to tell Nigerians why Mr. President will have to go ahead of parliamentary procedures and action to give approval to a fund that has been in contention,” he said.
