JOSHUAEGBODO writes on the likely top issues, as the House gets set to begin a fresh legislative year next week.
Ending 2021 on positive promises
With benefits of hindsight in Nigerian politics, a year preceding an election year is usually a non-action one in terms of governance. While many insisted that those with such perceptions should not be blamed, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila ended the green chamber’s 2021 legislative year with a promise of paradigm shift in the interest of the citizens.
Specifically on no room for the House to abandon its legislative responsibilities in that regard, he said this year would be different as the House would hold tenaciously to its legislative agenda, which it dubbed “Our Contract With Nigerians”, and ensure that political interests of members did not becloud those responsibilities.
During the last plenary of 2021, held on December 21, the Speaker said “By the time we resume next year, we will be closer to the end of our tenures, with national elections rapidly approaching. In the past, election years have witnessed a decline in governance activities as political pursuits cloud the calendar. That will not be the case this time around.
“As you are aware, we have a legislative agenda in this 9th House of Representatives, which we tagged ‘Our Contract with Nigerians’. I expect that we will do everything within our power to keep the commitments we made in that document. So that when we appear before our various constituencies, we can stand tall in the knowledge that despite challenges and difficulties, we did what we promised to do, and given a chance again, will do even more”.
Sobriety over rejected Electoral Act Bill
While members initially gathered in high spirits and intent to pass the 2022 appropriation, before proceeding on the break, though with speculations rife to the effect that President Muhammadu Buhari had sent a communication declining assent to the Electoral Act amendment Bill. This was later to be confirmed by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila who read the letter to his colleagues. Observers were clear on the somber mood in the House in the aftermath, which many said was beyond the House’s floor.
Prior to end of the session, attempts were made by some opposition lawmakers, including Minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu to the effect that Buhari’s observations be given accelerated consideration, and the Bill returned to him, as efforts, both in times and resources already put into effecting the amendments were too huge to be wasted. In response, the Speaker made reference to his earlier assurance that the Bill will not die, insisting being a bicameral legislature, the House alone cannot effect the suggested changes.
The Speaker had earlier in his remarks, stated that “We (the National Assembly) included in that bill, provisions we hoped will significantly enhance the conduct of our national elections and improve public confidence in our electoral outcomes. As it is now, that bill has not received presidential assent, and it falls to parliament to decide the best way forward.
“When we return in the new year (2022), we will resume our efforts to reform the electoral system in our country. And we will do it together. That is what the Nigerian people expect of us, and we will do our duty for God and country. Whichever way it pans out, we must not throw out the baby with the bath water and must deliver a credible and enduring electoral system to Nigerians. Every law is a living document and as long as it has breath, it must survive”.
Also the 2022 budget issues
With the drama surrounding the Electoral Act bill kept aside in the meantime, President Muhammadu Buhari at a ceremony to sign the 2022 appropriation pointed out some issues he had with the figure passed by the National Assembly, even with all assurances of the parliament that the budget have gone through all the needed produces.
A statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu on December 31, 2021 explained that “In keeping with the tradition of restoring a predictable January to December fiscal year, as provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari Friday in Abuja signed into law the 2022 Appropriation Bill and the 2021 Finance Bill”, adding that the document was signed at the Presidential Villa in the presence of Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other members of the Federal Executive Council. The 2022 Budget as passed by the parliament has aggregate expenditures of N17.127 trillion, an increase of N735.85 billion over the initial Executive Proposal for a total expenditure of N16.391 trillion.
However, the President confirmed that N186.53 billion of the increase from his initial figure presented came from additional critical expenditures that he had authorised the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning to forward to the National Assembly.
But he expressed reservations on what he termed “worrisome changes’’ made by the National Assembly to the 2022 Executive Budget proposal, noting that that he would revert to the National Assembly with a request for amendment as soon as it resumes to ensure that critical ongoing projects cardinal to his administration do not suffer setbacks due to reduced funding.
The President, according to the statement, recounted that during the presentation of the 2022 Appropriation Bill, he had stated that the fiscal year 2022 would be very crucial in his administration’s efforts to complete and put to use critical agenda projects, as well as improve the general living conditions of our people. “It is in this regard that I must express my reservations about many of the changes that the National Assembly has made to the 2022 Executive Budget proposal”, he said.
So after reeling out specific areas of concerns, he stated; ‘‘I signed the 2022 Appropriation Bill into law to enable its implementation to commence on 1st January 2022.
‘‘However, I will revert to the National Assembly with a request for amendment and/or virement as soon as the Assembly resumes to ensure that critical ongoing projects that are cardinal to this administration, and those nearing completion, do not suffer a setback due to reduced funding”.
Expected focuses as House resumes
With the House announcing a January 18 resumption, which speculations are in the air of not being sacrosanct, the rejected Electoral Act Bill, and possible amendment Bill to the 2022 Budget are in the opinion of pundits the likely first legislative instruments that greater attention might be directed at. These they said will be fallout of pressure from Nigerians, which understandably had remained low due to the running recess.
Speaker of the House, Gbajabiamila gave some insights into other areas of legislative interventions the House may delve into as it resumes, including making MDAs comply with budget implementation. “This is a subject of grave concern, especially now when we must contend with the reality of limited resources amid significant developmental challenges. Therefore, in the new year, the House of Representatives will explore further options for legislative action in this regard”, he stated.
He also expressed worries over how the plethora of existing federal MDAs kept inundating the House with requests for increased funding during sessions on the 2022 budget defence, and hinted a possible reduction in the numbers. “One thing that is now abundantly clear, is that the legislature needs to act to reform the envelope system currently in place because it imposes conditions that do not make for optimal outcomes. At the same time, we must begin also to consider options for merging agencies where there is a significant overlap in functions and responsibilities, and scrapping other institutions where their utility is no longer apparent”, he submitted.
Analysts have expressed hope that with the recent pronouncement by executive arm of the federal government on need to streamline the MDAs, the parliament may have an easy ride in that regard, as suggestions were made for more commitment to people-friendly legislations on resumption.
