BUDGET 2014: Furore over absence of Jonathan at NASS on November 20, 2013 / in Headlines 12:02 am By Emman Ovuakporie, Henry Umoru, Johnosco AgbakwuRU, Levinus Nwabughiogu & Joseph Erunke ABUJA — Controversy erupted, yesterday, over the failure of President Goodluck Jonathan to present the 2014 budget proposal of the Federal Government to the National Assembly. It was the second time in two weeks that the President would pull back from the presentation even after civil servants in the National Assembly complex had been restricted from coming to work. Well laid down security and protocol arrangements for the President to present the 2014 budget proposals to the National Assembly were called off mid-morning, yesterday, after a letter from the President requesting another date for the presentation became known. The table where President Jonathan was to perform the formal presentation, yesterday. Photos by Abayomi Adeshida. The table where President Jonathan was to perform the formal presentation of 2014 Appropriation Bill, yesterday. Photos by Abayomi Adeshida. The President in the letter to the two chambers of the National Assembly cited differences in the oil benchmark agreed by the Senate and the House of Representatives as reason. However, several sources alleged an orchestrated plan by loyalists of the Kawu Baraje-led faction of the PDP and opposition members of the National Assembly to give the President a hostile reception during the presentation as reason for the letter. Yesterday, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Communications, Dr. Doyin Okupe denounced suggestions of security or other considerations for the President’s failure to present the budget as he kept to the official dictum of the presidency on differences on benchmark. Senators and members of the House of Representatives were split on the reasons given by the President on his request for a new date. Okupe’s assertion was rebuffed by Senator Kabiru Gaya, APC, Kano who insisted yesterday that disagreements on the oil benchmark between the two chambers of the National Assembly never stopped presentation of budget proposals in the past. Insisting that the president chose to allow the two chambers resolve their differences on the benchmark, Dr. Okupe said: “We trust that this pragmatic approach will be appreciated and wholesomely well received by the distinguished senators and Hon members of the National Assembly.” “It is in this light that we unequivocally debunk insinuations in some sections of the media that the President boycotted the National Assembly today for security reasons or that government has anything to hide on the budget issue.” No plans to boo Jonathan — Reps Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Rep. Zakari Mohammed (PDP, Kwara), however, denied any orchestrated plan by the legislators to embarrass the President. His claim nonetheless, a loyalist of the President and principal officer in the House was critical of the division in the House, saying yesterday: “We warned them, (mainstream PDP) then that they should not disrupt the Kawu Baraje-led group when they came visiting. “What these people want to do now is to ensure they get their pound of flesh”. He was however critical of the repeated failure of the president to show up saying: “What Mr. President has done is morally wrong because this is the first time a hale and hearty president has failed to perform this traditional rite. “On the other hand, constitutionally, he is at liberty to send a representative to make the presentation on his behalf. “This development is a pointer to the fact that the nPDP is still very aggrieved over what other members did to the Baraje group. “ Speaking to journalists following the non-appearance of the president, Rep. Mohammed at about 10.30am said: “We had it on good authority that Mr President was not going to show up today but we are expecting him to send any representative to make the presentation on his behalf”. Asked whether this will not violate the constitution, Mohammed said “Section 81 (1) adequately makes provision for that and the President, based on this, is at liberty to send a representative.” Vanguard gathered that in the last three days, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal had been practically pleading with critical elements in the House to ensure a smooth reception for the President. At one of the meetings on Monday evening between the Speaker and some members, it was learnt that members had fumed that they only approved the 2013 budget after pleas from the speaker but that the President has failed to meet their expectations in implementation. The meeting, which held till the wee hours of yesterday could not assuage the members, many of who are aligned to the Baraje-led nPDP. The members, it was learnt, insisted on having their pound of flesh. “We will rather go ahead and do it our way this time, no matter whose ox is gored. “ Speaker Tambuwal’s action flowed from the failure of the presidency to appoint a substantive Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters following the removal of Senator Joy Emodi from that position. Mrs. Emodi had in the past helped soothe the angst of the legislators and prepared the grounds for hearty receptions for the President. Indications that President Jonathan would not come for the presentation emerged when the tight security measures put in place by NASS management for his coming were suddenly relaxed at about 9.45 a.m. Civil servants who were earlier warned not to venture near the National Assembly complex until 2 p.m. were allowed to come in. At about 10 a.m the red carpet already laid for Mr. President was removed, a clear indication that the august visitor was no longer expected. Once the plenary began at about 11 am in the House of Representatives, Speaker Tambuwal read out a letter by the President asking for a shift in date, citing differences in the benchmarks between the Senate and the House of Representatives. The letter read in part: “Please recall that I had written requesting the Honourable House of Representatives to grant me the slot of 12 noon on Tuesday 19th November 2013 to enable me address a Joint Session of the National Assembly on the 2014 Budget. “However, considering the fact that, whereas the Distinguished Senate has approved the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) based on a benchmark of $76.5 per barrel, the Honourable House of Representatives has used a benchmark of $79 per barrel, it is infeasible for me to present the budget in the absence of a harmonized position on the MTEF. “In the circumstance, it has become necessary to defer the presentation of the 2014 Budget to a Joint Session of the National Assembly until such a time when both respected chambers would have harmonized their positions on the MTEF. It is my hope that this will be in the shortest possible time. After the letter was read, other issues raised were all stepped down for further legislative actions. Briefing journalists following the plenary yesterday, House spokesman, Rep. Zakari Mohammed said that the reason given by the President on non-harmonization of oil benchmark between the two chambers was untenable as a similar situation played out last year and in 2011. “This is not the first time we’re having differences in passing MTEF. It happened in 2011 and even last year. The Senate did not pass the MTEF last year, but we did, and the budget presentation went on like that. But Mr. President’s letter said it is MTEF; we leave it at that,” he said. On the oil benchmark harmonization between the House and the Senate, Mohammed said the two chambers would form a conference committee to do that but added “I cannot give a definite date on that, but we’ll make sure we do the right thing.” Mohammed maintained that the allegations that some members were planning to boo Jonathan during the budget presentation did not come to the notice of the House, adding that “We’re a House of responsible people who will not do such a thing. I don’t think any of us will ever do that.” Senators were more sharply divided over the reasons given by the president for his failure to present the budget yesterday. Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Mohammed Maccido in an interview said, “The two chambers had to agree on the same benchmark because that is what the constitution says.”
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 05:49:36 +0000