Non-passage of MTEF Delays Budget Debate

N7.2 bn: House summons IG over misappropriation of 2016 budget
Damilola Oyedele in Abuja
The House of Representatives has said the delay in the passage of the 2017-2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) has led to the inability to commence debate on the N7.3 trillion budget for 2017.

The spokesperson of the House, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, briefing journalists yesterday however gave assurances that the MTEF would be passed next week, while budget debate would follow.

“We cannot debate the general principles of the budget until MTEF is passed. Next: week, we would passe MTEF and the upper week, we would lay the details of the budget and begin the processes.” Namdas said.

Meanwhile the House at plenary summoned the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to appear before its Committee on Police Affairs on January 19, 2017, after he refused to honour three previous invitations.

The committee accused Ibrahim of misappropriation of the 2016 budget following the use of N1.2 billion approved for the purchase of 10 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), for the purchase of 64 toyota hiace commuter vehicles, without approval from the National Assembly.

The Hon. Halliru Jika led committee also accused Ibrahim of diverting N6 billion appropriated for rehabilitation and reconstruction of 102 police stations, to other uses without approval from the National Assembly.

A member of the committee, Hon. Gabriel Onyenwife, in a motion raised at plenary, said Ibrahim’s refusal to appear before the committee has stalled investigations into the diversion of the funds.

The action, the lawmaker noted, constitute breaches of the Appropriation Act and a gross violation of the provisions of constitution.

Jika, speaking with THISDAY, said the police has violated the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and the Public Procurement Act 2007.

“Even the President himself wrote to the legislature seeking approval of virement of funds within the 2016 budget, and it was granted. So nobody is above the law. You cannot spend a kobo of appropriated funds without legislative approval. It is an impeachable offence,” he said.

The lawmaker noted that the committee is simply exercising its mandate granted by the constitution.