Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Spend the money, now

Muhammed Bello and Onwuka Nzeshi, writing in This Day (Lagos), explain why some members of the Nigerian House of Representatives have threatened to impeach President Jonathan because his government is not spending enough money. What explains the legislators' impatience?

House Threatens to Impeach Jonathan over Budget Execution

There was uproar in the House of Representatives Thursday as lawmakers reviewed the implementation of this year’s budget, which the National Assembly passed on March 15.

President Goodluck Jonathan

The lawmakers… criticised the executive for the alleged poor and selective implementation of the budget [and] gave President Goodluck Jonathan up until September… to ensure effective implementation of the budget or face impeachment.

The House… alleged that while the economy had recorded consistent inflow of revenue even above the projections in the budget, the government had starved Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of funds thereby stalling the execution of various projects nationwide.

Statistics indicate that the budget has attained only 35 per cent implementation mark as at the end of June.

The debate… got to its climax when the Minority Leader, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila… called for serious sanction against the president.

“Mr. Speaker, if these constituency projects are not executed at the end of the day who suffers? I do not suffer, you do not suffer, the executive does not suffer; it is the people who put us here that suffer.

“They suffer lack of infrastructure, unemployment; they suffer what they should ordinarily have in abundance.

“I like my president but I like my people and country more. Come September, if the budget is not implemented 100 per cent, we will begin to draw up articles of impeachment against Mr. President,” he added.

His submission elicited wild applause from across the chamber, an indication that it was a position acceptable to the majority of the legislators…