The request by President Muhammadu Buhari to borrow an extra N1.6 trillion to fund the 2015 budget dragged the House of Representatives members into a shouting war yesterday.

The war which was between the All Progressive Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was aggravated by the claim of Mr. President that an extra N465.6 billion was needed to make subsidy payments. The PDP members despised the action as the held the view that the APC had before the election criticized the payment of subsidies to oil marketers.

The members of the PDP also pointed that the money that is being requested by President Buhari had already been used quoting that the letter was mainly to cover the hole drilled by the President.

Rep Femi Gbajabiamila, the House Majority Leader who on the President’s request led the debate pleaded to the members of the House to approve the request regardless of party lines to equip the government in the war against Boko Haram insurgency and to allow it resolve marketers of petroleum products as the country was facing scarcity of fuel which bites Nigerians hard.

His contention was supported by among others, Mohammed Monguno, APC, Monguno/Marte/Nganzai, Borno State; Zakari Mohammed, APC Baruten/Kaima, Kwara State and Mohammed Kazaure, APC Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa/Yankashi, Jigawa State, as disclosed by Vanguard.

Kazuare had added that “we need the people to support anything President Buhari brings to the House.”

However, Rep Leo Ogor, the Minority Leader, was unperturbed as he highlighted a breach of parliamentary procedure in the request of Mr. President. He argued that the government had already used money on All Africa Games that had since been settled before the request was sent to the parliament.

Ogor, who supported the money to fight the insurgency in the North, picked faults with the subsidy issue. He noted that the APC kicked against subsidy claims as an opposition party, saying that subsidy was a fraud. He wondered when the party changed its position.

He also queried why N413.3 billion should be paid as fuel subsidy when the price of oil had fallen sharply as he then proposed that all relevant House committees rigorously interrogate the President’s request.

Gbajiabimila on interrupting Ogor as he spoke, raised a Point of Order demanding that the Minority Leader withdrew his comment that the APC had in previous times labeled fuel subsidy as a fraud.

It was this Point of Order demand that turned the chamber into an unruly platform with a piercing split between the APC and the PDP members. Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara was compelled to intervene saying he was unaware of any official claim of the APC fighting against fuel subsidy. Yakubu Dogara added that the President recently said that subsidy will not be removed.

Minority Leader who insisted on his position said that Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, is still the voice of the ruling government. A statement which the APC members did not accept and yelled at him to sit down; the reaction also incited the PDP members to urge Ogor on before the Speaker of the House again intervened and forced the Minority Leader to sit down.

Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, PDP, Isiukwuato/Umunneochi, Abia State, said the budget of 2015 had not been implemented up to 30 per cent, saying: “If we pass this supplementary budget, are they (APC) going to implement it? It is not about APC or PDP.”

The Minority Whip, Yakubu Badeh, on his part said the House was in support of anything that would remove suffering on Nigerians and that the PDP was in support of the subsidy in as much as it would impact positively on the common man.

Yakubu Badeh who is the Minority Whip said the House was in support of anything that would eliminate suffering on Nigerians and that the PDP supports fuel subsidy provided that it has a positive impact on the people. He added that the House should observe how the money for fuel subsidy was used to that the masses would have the worth of their money.

Dogara on placing the question if the bill on the supplementary budget should be read the second time got a resounding yea from the majority of the members with no shouts to the contrary.

source: http://www.ogbongefriends.com/breakingNews/newsDetails/5041/N16-TRILLION-DIVIDES-SPLITS-HOUSE-OF-REPS

*smiles*

House of commotion.

DS SUBSIDY ABI?

Its normal, let them fight, argue allege and accuse.

The war which was between the All Progressive Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party,