Jonathan sent a letter not a budget bill – Rep Ajayi

By Gbenga Olarinoye
Hon. Adeyinka Ajayi representing Boripe/Ifelodun/Odo-Otin Federal
Constituency of Osun State in the House of Representatives is the
chairman, House Committee on Aid, Loan and Debt Management. A lawyer
by profession, he was chairman of Boripe Local Government area of Osun
State between 2002 and 2003. In this interview, he spoke on recent
developments concerning the federal budget. Excepts:
Why did the National Assembly reject the president's request to amend
the budget?
What Mr. President presented to us was a letter, it wasn't sufficient
to constitute an amendment proposal or amendment clauses to the
appropriation act, it would have required more from the President
because we have special rules that govern money matters.
But it is alleged that your refusal was because Mr. President refused
to approve funds for your constituency projects?
It is not correct. Mr. President presented a letter to us and not a
supplementary budgetand that explains why the letter written by Mr.
President was given such treatment. Our action is based on what the
law says concerning the appropriation act. To amend it is not just
through a letter like Mr. President did, there are rules guiding this
action and that is what wefollowed. But concerning the constituency
projects, they are projects suggested by 469 elected members and
representatives of people of Nigeria.
Ajayi
My party, the Action Congress of Nigeria frowns against the idea of
constituency projects and we are indeed supposed to be championing an
eradication of this so called constituency projects. Where governance
is done the way it should be, the parliamentarian's job is to take
contributions from the nooks and crannies of the country, take them
back to the executive in the process of budgeting to look at those
various things.
It could be road, it could be health facility because I went through
all these areas during my electioneering campaign but as a
parliamentarian I would exceed my brief as it were if I went to people
and promised that I would bring water to this place.
Vibrant legislations
I will bring road here. I would do this, I would do that. If we follow
the trend ofmajority of the members of Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN) during our electioneering campaign what we promised was robust
and vibrant legislations. We did not promise roads,as it is not our
job, it is not within our area of competence.
As lawmakers we don't have executivepower; all we have is persuasive
power and from that robust legislative engagement, can come and
attract federal presence in your constituency. What we are saying is
that if you will not involve the parliamentarians in the process of
budget making, and youjust bring a document called the budget and
since we have the right of appropriation, we have the right of yesor
no.
You have prioritised your projects, but we as parliamentarians have
the feeling and yearnings of the people. Let our contributions be the
determinant of what should be the priority areas for the government.
Let that be as afar as our contribution goes.
If I come and it is water that is the requirement of our people, let
the Ministry of Water Resources build, if it is the road that is the
need of my people, let the ministry of works handle it, if it is
hospital that my people need, let ministry of health do it.
Don't give me the contract; don't call itconstituency project for me,
don't label it constituency project, it is not constituency project,
it is projects that belong to Nigerians; so it would be a
misconception if we keep battling with the idea of constituency
projects but because it is a way to call the dog abad name, that is
why the executive is saying that the parliamentarians always distort
the budget. This is an unfair statement. This is not correct.