House investigates 2009 budget performance

The House of Representatives has requested from the Executive arm of government, detailed performance indicators of the 2009 budget as appropriated by the National Assembly earlier this year.

House committees on Finance and Appropriation will have to, within two weeks, investigate the extent of implementation of this year’s N3.1 trillion budget, through the office of Accountant-General of the Federation, using the funds input, output and outcome index.

This means the House will receive reports on the amount of money accrued to the government and those released to the Ministries, Agencies and Departments of government, and the projects they were used for since January, 2009.

“It is our responsibility to ensure that the budget is implemented as passed by the National Assembly,” said Usman Nafada, Deputy Speaker, who presided on Wednesday sitting.

The resolution of the House giving this mandate, aims at examining the ministries, department and agencies alleged selective implementation of the budget, which they reportedly say, is on the directive of President Umaru Yar’Adua.

“I don’t think there is any Minister who will not implement the budget, simply because it does not come from the executive,” Mr. Nafada said.

But members outlined their experiences where some officials allegedly claimed directives from “above” instructing them to adhere to projects for which provisions were made for in the original budget.

“The Aviation committee was shocked when invited officials of the Aviation Ministry told the members that only four airports out of the 14 that monies were appropriated for, have been considered for repairs (the airports are those of Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja and Kano),” said Mohammed Haruna, “and they said the directive came from the Minister.”

The allegation is that Mr. Yar’Adua has instructed the Ministers to only execute projects contained in the original version of the appropriation bill sent to the National Assembly by the Executive.

“I do know that presently, all the River Basin projects in the country are at the moment not implemented; and when questions are asked, the officials say they have orders to implement only the original budget,” said Ita Enang, Chairman, House committee on Rules and Business.

Most members pushed for an authorisation of all of the House committees to conduct a two-week inquiry and oversight, on their respective domain in respect to how far the approved budget has been executed.

“The committees should be allowed two weeks, during which there will be no plenary, for the respective committees to assess the performance by these MDAs,” Halims Agoda (Delta, PDP) suggested.

The motion was moved by the House Minority Leader, Ali Ndume. He based his observation on the circumstance of 2008 where the overall performance of the government’s target of projects through the budget, was only implemented at about 30 percent rate.

“We must do all we can to make sure this does not happen again; and I think it is timely now to call the executive to order,” he said.

The debate on the floor of the house also featured members narrating how they had visited their constituencies to verify the projects detailed to their respective wards and met nothing on the ground.

“We do not expect that the projects would have been set by now, but the processes that will lead to their execution, like the bidding tender, are yet to begin,” said Tsegba Terngu(Benue).

Some members said whatever comes out of the implementation of the budget arises from the poor procedural approach that has continued in the house, where a few persons allegedly insert strange clauses into the appropriation Act after formal considerations by the general assembly.

Chinyere Igwe and Emmanuel Deeya, both Rivers State Representatives, said the House must first conduct a self-introspection, before they accuse the Executive.

“I think we need to look at our own processes before we accuse the Executive. Some of the things we have in the budget, were they supposed to be there in the first place?”