The House of Representatives on Thursday raised the alarm over an alleged move by the Executive to scuttle the implementation of the 2013 budget.
President Goodluck Jonathan had signed the N4.9tn budget on February 26 after a lengthy disagreement between him and the National Assembly over some grey areas.
The House said a letter from the Director-General, Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogu, had directed ministries, departments and agencies of government to “ignore” the implementation of the budget and wait for an amended version.
It, therefore, summoned Okogu to appear before its Committee on Appropriation/Finance within one week “to throw more light on the circular.”
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Minority Whip, Mr. Sampson Osagie.
Osagie argued that the amended version of the budget alluded to in the letter was not yet before the National Assembly.
He added that it would be illegal for any official of government to direct MDAs to ignore an Appropriation Act duly passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President.
He said, “The House views this action as illegal and all committees must ensure that MDAs under their supervision implement the budget as passed until there is a proposal for amendment before the National Assembly.
“Mr. President should caution the DG Budget Office so that this will not jeopardise the cordial relationship between the National Assembly and Mr. President.”
The development came as the House sought to place the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation on first line charge to receive direct funding from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.
A bill on the proposal, which was sponsored by Mr. Solomon Olamilekan, passed second reading on Thursday.
The amendment bill sought to amend Section 81 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to grant financial autonomy to the AGF’s office.
Olamilekan, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, said the “envelope style of budgeting” was being used by the Executive to stifle the operations of the AFG’s office.
For example, he said in the 2013 budget, government earmarked N892m to the office to audit an expenditure of N4.9tn.
According to him, the “poor funding” of the office is deliberately done to encourage corruption by weakening the capacity of the AGF to ask questions on government spending.
Olamilekan said, “There budget (of AGF’s office) was N892m; it was the Public Accounts Committee that raised it to N2.6bn. Even at that, the budget came back again with the N892m. While the budget of the Federal Government is rising yearly, the funding of the AGF’s office is nothing to write home about.
“We need to place the office on first line charge; let us give it independence and empower it to hold the Executive accountable. The AGF’ office should be funded directly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government.”
The bill was unanimously endorsed for second hearing at a session presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal.