LEGISREPORTS NG – A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN) Femi Falana, hours ago charged Lawmakers of the green chamber to shred the secrecy surrounding their salaries and allowances, since this will further earn them the political goodwill they are already enjoying from the Nigerian people. “Many Nigerians believe the statement credited to an eminent scholar, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN) that the members of the National Assembly are the highest paid legislators in the world. In order to end the diversionary controversy on the matter I had, in Jterni Jralana V National Assembly, challenged the constitutional validity of the jumbo emoluments of federal legislators. But the fed high court upheld the objection of the defense that the plaintiff lacked the locus standi to maintain the suit. While I was ruminating over the verdict the same court directed the defendant in LEPAD v National Assembly to disclose the details of the salary and allowances of members of the National Assembly to Nigerians in line with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011. Instead of complying with the judgment the National Assembly has curiously taken the matter to the Court of Appeal. Therefore as a matter of principle i urge you make your salaries and allowances public knowledge” Femi Falana, a fiery human rights lawyer made this declaration at the second anniversary ceremony of the 7th House of Assembly held in the green chambers of the National Assembly where he presented a paper titled “The 7th House of Representatives and The Battle of Public Opinion” On the ongoing budget imbroglio between the executive and the legislature, which he described as “the height of impunity on the part of the executive ”he stressed that the position taken by the lawmakers is within the ambit of the law, therefore they are only putting into practice their responsibilities as lawmakers, he said, with this in mind they should not succumb to the executive. “The decision of the National Assembly, to insist on the full implementation of the nation’s budget is in line with the tenets of the rule of law, “once the Appropriation Bill has been passed into law it is required to be enforced. As there can be no justification for partial compliance with an existing law, it is the height of impunity on the part of the Executive to claim that the Appropriation Act has been implemented up to 50 or 60 per cent level. Citing the provisions of the law that sanctions compliance of such legislation and the resultant consequences of a delayed budget implementation he said; “The law requires 100 per cent compliance. Therefore, having signed the Appropriation Bill into law the National Assembly should reject the deliberate ploy to delay the implementation of the 2013 budget. Since the budget “crisis” has to be resolved not later than June 30 and all government departments are going to be asked to return unspent funds to the treasury by November 30, this year may witness the worst implementation of the nation’s budget! Also, the lawyer activist commended the amendments’ of the statutory allocations the House made in the emergency rule proposal of the president and urged them to set up an oversight committee to monitor human rights abuses. “In other words, the imposition of curfew, restriction of the right of movements, blocking of highways, prolonged detention of terror suspects, closure of markets and other business premises and other derogations of the fundamental rights of citizens in war zones are only justifiable under a state of emergency by virtue of section 45 of the Constitution. However, the House of Representatives deserves kudos for striking out the provisions of the emergency regulations which had empowered the President to spend the statutory allocations of the affected states and local governments on prosecuting the war against terror. Meanwhile you, as a house should have an oversight committee that will monitor human rights violations in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.” Bolstering the green chambers quest for reigning in errant government parastatals such as the CBN he urged them not “to be blackmailed in exercising its powers to ensure that the CBN is brought under legislative scrutiny in conformity with the Constitution.” Falana stepped off the podium amidst standing a standing ovation even from members of the press.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 19:24:33 +0000
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