What Manner Of Lawmakers?

By: Reuben Abati - Published 2009-11-22

THE face-off between the Senate and the House of Representatives over the choice of venue for the President's presentation of Budget 2010 is an annoying display of ego and an abuse of office; it is indeed an insult to the Nigerian people.

What is more important to this National Assembly, the class of 2007? Supremacy? Individual ego? Or the common good? The Senate is insisting that the President in presenting the 2010 budget must come to its chambers. The House of Representatives, which had already laid out the red carpet to receive the president, says going by tradition, convention and the convenience of space, it is in a better position to host the President. And now the presentation of Budget 2010 has been kept on hold. It is completely silly. It is more annoying considering the fact this is not the first time that the National Assembly will be engaged in this kind of cat-fight. A few months ago, the much-awaited deliberations by the National Assembly on the Constitution amendment process, something of equally great importance to Nigerians was stalled because the two Houses were locked in a similar supremacy battle. The Class of 2007 must moderate the ego and greed of its individual members and leadership.

Our lawmakers need be reminded that they have been elected, some insist selected, well whatever, to defend the interests of the Nigerian people. They collectively earn over N200 billion per annum. That is a lot of money. And yet what do the Nigerian people get in return for this huge investment (waste actually)? What they get is a navel-gazing National Assembly that is more interested in the alimentary needs of its members rather than the Nigerian people. Section 81 of the Nigerian Constitution would seem to have provided a clear way out of this impasse. The Constitution does not ask that the budget should be presented jointly to both Houses of the National Assembly. It talks about the president presenting the budget to each House of the National Assembly.

The joint presentation of the Budget is a product of convention and common sense. It saves cost and time. It provides for greater robustness in the presentation and reception process. It gives an impression of legislative unity. Those who established and sustained that convention were gentlemen and ladies; they obviously did not contemplate the arrival of the class of 2007 in Nigeria - power-mongers with extra-ordinarily large egos. The shame is on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The majority of the lawmakers who are fighting over territory in the National Assembly are members of the PDP. The President who is looking for a chance to present Budget 2010 is a member of the PDP, in fact the leader of the party. How come members of the same party cannot work in concert to serve the Nigerian people? The PDP obviously is a party in disarray. Its members are distracting our attention and embarrassing the entire country. It is clear that President Yar'Adua is not in charge within his own party. It is the perceived vacuum at the highest level that is responsible for the desperation that we are seeing, with all kinds of groups and persons scrambling to step in.

Ayogu Eze, speaking for the Senate, has said that the Queen recently presented her annual address at the House of Lords, a much smaller space, and members of the House of Commons, who boast of a much larger space had to come to the House of Lords and that there were persons who stood up until the presentation was made. This is like comparing apples and oranges.

But is Eze saying that this justifies the "My-Mercedes-is-bigger-than-yours-mentality" that now prevails at the National Assembly? For all I care, and I guess many Nigerians feel the same way, President Yar'Adua could present Budget 2010 to the lawmakers at the Eagle Square or the National Stadium, or in a rented hall. However, Section 81 of the 1999 Constitution already resolves the issue nicely: so, let him address each House separately.

With regard to Budget 2010, we would prefer to see the lawmakers discussing the contents of the Executive's proposals, making quality contributions, not fighting over chairs and tables. Are there any special allowances attached to the hosting of the President? Does the hosting party run a special budget? After all, the order of presentation has not changed. The Senate President welcomes the President of the Federal Republic, the man says his bit and at the end of it all, the Speaker of the House of Representatives gives the Vote of Thanks. There must be something about money involved in this face-off; if there isn't, let someone tell us.

Unfortunately, the seed for the failure of Budget 2010 has been sown. The two Houses fighting over territory and influence may find it difficult to agree on the details of the Budget. Since 2007 when the Yar'Adua administration assumed office, budget performance has been an issue. Every year, unspent funds are purportedly returned to the treasury. This year, even the national lawmakers on the floor of both Houses had cause to protest about the non-implementation of the budget, with the Presidency pleading guilty as charged. Do we now face the prospect of Budget 2010 also dying a-borning? This may likely be the case and it is a shame. Ultimately, it's the masses who are wronged and under-served. Civil society must make it difficult if not impossible for the professional political class to continue to hold up our country to ridicule in this manner.

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