President Goodluck Johnathan
HOW far will members of the House of Representatives go in their threat to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan, over his alleged non-implementation of this year’s fiscal budget? This is the knotty question milling on the people’s mind.
Members of the lower chamber of the National Assembly had at their sitting condemned the poor implementation of the 2012 national budget and resolved that the government must achieve 100 per cent implementation by the time they resume in September otherwise; they will commence impeachment proceedings against the President.
Jonathan, during the presentation of the 2012 Budget, christened “Fiscal Consolidation, Inclusive Growth and Job Creation”, admitted that the nation “can only progress in this course and turn our possibilities into reality when we diligently adhere to the implementation of well thought-out and articulated developmental policies”.
Spearheading the sanction is the Minority Leader of the House and a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who stated that “If by September 18, the budget performance has not improved to 100 per cent; we shall begin to invoke and draw up articles of impeachment against Mr. President”.
He accused the executive of allegedly breaching the Appropriation Act, 2012 by engaging in “selective implementation” of the budget. “What we have in our hands today is a budget of abracadabra; a budget of voo-doo economy”, he added.
The legislator cited Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution, to buttress his stand, saying the action of the President amounted to “gross misconduct” and constituted sufficient grounds to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.
It is instructive that Section 143 (1) of Nigeria’s constitution says the President or Vice-President may be removed from office “whenever a notice of any allegation in writing, signed by not less than one-third of the members of the National Assembly”, is presented to the Senate President stating that the holder of the office is guilty of “gross misconduct” in the performance of his official duties.
Mr. ADEWALE KUPOLUYI, wrote from Federal University of Agriculure. Abeokuta, Ogun State.
