House suspends debates on bill seeking funds transfer between subheads

House in Session

House suspends debates on bill seeking funds transfer between subheads
Latifat Afegbua, Abuja

The House of Representatives on Thursday suspended further debates on  a Bill seeking the movement of some funds approved for projects in the 2011 budget from one sub-heads to another.

At the debate of the general principles of the request for that virement proposed to the National Assembly last week by President Golodluck Jonathan, lawmakers were in serious opposition to the proposal because of alleged lapses in the implementation of budget 2011 and the disregard for the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Deputy Minority Whip, Samson Osagie, in rejecting the proposal wondered why the virement was not proposed in favour of poverty alleviation, which he noted was the bane of insecurity in the country. He called on his fellow lawmakers to throw out the Bill because its approval would only worsen the poor economic situation in the country.

Inherent Weaknesses

In his submissions, Farouk Lawal representing Kano State , said the Bill should be outrightly rejected because it had several weaknesses, adding that the preparation of the 2012 was already on-going.

Alhaji Lawan, also, said that the level of implementation of this year’s budget has not been very impressive even after the National Assembly effected an amendment to it to satisfy the executive earlier this year.

Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Solomon Adeola had asked his colleagues to consider the submission of virement proposal three months to the end of the 2011 fiscal year as a wrong step by government, adding that such a move would not promote the economic well-being of Nigerians.

The virement of ninety-eight point forty-four billion naira is being sought for the ministries of Niger Delta Affairs, Federal Capital Territory Administration, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Education, Police Formations and Commands and Federal Ministry of Justice.

Uche Iheanacho