We’ll impeach Jonathan if…, Reps vow

 

In spite of the criticisms that have trailed the recent impeachment threat issued to President Goodluck Jonathan, the House of Representatives yesterday affirmed its stand, insisting that no amount of blackmail would stop it from going ahead with the decision should the President fail to implement the budget as passed by the National Assembly.

The House also explained that the impeachment threat was borne out of national interest and patriotism of members of the House. It said statements suggesting that the lawmakers were sponsored by external forces was mischievous and misleading.

Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, who made this position known in a press statement yesterday, said, “Arising from Thursday’s 19th July 2012 plenary, which discussed extensively on the snail speed implementation of the 2012 Appropriation Act by Mr President and the attendant ultimatum issued, that if by 30th September 2012 when the House resumes from recess there is no marked improvement, the House would be left with no choice than to initiative impeachment proceedings.”

Mohammed argued, “This bold and patriotic step by the Seventh Assembly has attracted different comments from a lot of quarters, expectedly. Therefore, some sponsored news, editorials and commentaries chose to deliberately misinform the public on the rationale behind our nationalistic stand. For the avoidance of doubt, whilst we are aware that all revenue-generating agencies have surpassed their annual target by mid this year.

“The House is worried that this positive development did not reflect the implementation of the budget for the benefit of the Nigerian peoples.”

In affirming the stance of the House, the spokesman added, “To now conclude that our resolution for Thursday is borne out of selfish motives is terribly out of place. We would, however, continue to raise our voices to the highest ebb where we sight injustice or impunity, no amount of blackmail or intimidation would cow us to abdicate our constitutional responsibility which we signed with our employers the (Nigerian people) to stand firm and protect their interest.”

According to Mohammed, “To assume that we are guided by some forces outside the House of Representatives is mischievous and a deliberate ploy to misrepresent the House before the Nigerian public.”

He explained that the House has the constitutional responsibility to serve as check on the executive to strengthen instruments of governance especially on oversight.

In his words, “This trend, if not arrested, would worsen the already fragile state of the nation, hence the need for our quick intervention. To then insinuate that the House of Representatives took this noble step to satisfy pressure from a political party or because the constituency projects were not awarded to members or because of the drama that followed the presentation of the fuel subsidy report, is to say the least malicious, damaging and uncharitable to the image of the Assembly.”

Expatiating, the chairman noted, “We in the legislature are law-makers and not contractors and that the constituency projects execution has been the exclusive preserves of the executive and its agencies. At no time has there been any argument on this.”

Speaking further on constituency projects, Mohammed explained: “What members do in the course of the budget preparation is to furnish the respective MDAs with locations and areas of need of our constituencies. The bidding processes are handled by the supervising ministries. The entire 360 members in the House are bond by the Nigerian project. Our independence and objectiveness is evident in the selection of our principal officers, which we did according to our thoughts.”

On the $3 million bribery scandal, he said, “The 7th Assembly has distanced itself from the Hon. Farouk and Otedola case as evident in the bold steps we took in suspending him as chairman of both the committees on fuel subsidy and education. In addition to encouraging the law enforcement agencies to do their work according to the dictates of the law, we will continue to preserve our resolve as one indivisible country.”

Since the impeachment threat was issued last Thursday, several stakeholders, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership and the Senate president, David Mark, have intervened in the matter.