*Say he allocated 20 projects to himself without members’ conscent
*Vow to pass returned budget with its amendments verbatim
*May suspend rules to expedite action

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA — Over 200 members of the House of Representatives are poised for a showdown with the leadership of the House should it decides to commit the returned 2016 budget estimates to the House Committee on Appropriation for scrutiny.


House of Representatives during plenary
Their anger is hinged on the believe that the approved copy of the budget by the National Assembly was grossly padded by the Chairman of the Committee, Abdumumuni Jubril, who allocated over 20 projects to himself without the consent of the members.

The development had irked many federal lawmakers, especially members of the House of Representatives, who said but for the insistence of President Muhammadu Buhari that the submitted budget by the National Assembly be returned, they wouldn’t have known the level of mutilation done to the document by the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee.

The members were more angered by an addition of N20 billion worth of projects shared within the leadership of the House without involving other members.

Leadership ups projects funds from N60bn to N100bn

A dependable source in the National Assembly said it was a rude shock to both the speaker and members, who later discovered that the President rejected the document because it was padded by the Appropriation Committee chairman, Abdumumini Jubril, with projects to the tune of N4.3 billion without the consent of members of the House.

This is exclusive of the N40 billion worth of projects which the leaderships of the Appropriations Committees of two chambers of the National Assembly shared among themselves without the knowledge of other members.

The source further revealed that the executive had provided N60 billion in the 2016 Appropriation Bill for senators and members of the House of Representatives as their zonal intervention constituency projects.

But the leadership of both chambers, it was learned, for whatever reasons, upped the funds to N100 billion, allocating N20 billion each to themselves without the knowledge of the members.

Vanguard gathered that the situation became aggravated after other committees’ chairmen, who were promised juicy projects as a way of protecting their interests, were later sidelined.

The source said it was at the height of this that Dogara asked that the projects allocated to him as “compensation” be withdrawn.

A source told Vanguard that it was to forestal a repeat that members resolved to pass the budget as it had come from the executive without any form of scrutiny or amendment.

Jubril allocates 22 projects worth N4.169bn to himself

A document seen by Vanguard indicated that Jubril, who represents Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State, allocated to himself 22 projects worth N4.169 billion.

The projects were said to be scattered across five Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, of the Federal Government, including Ministries of Works, Agriculture, Water Resources, Women Affairs and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF.

Jubril, must go —RepsSources revealed that members became seriously enraged when the lid was blown open and swore to “trouble” the speaker until Jubril was striped of his chairmanship position.

According to the source, “over 200 members, including some committee chairmen, have resolved that the budget would not be touched again. We would allow whatever additions or minuses the President may make on the budget at it is now.

“We are not going to allow any debate again. The first experience was frightening. They may repeat the same thing, if given the opportunity.


“We have decided that the chairman must be changed. We have pressed for this earlier at the peak of the issue but had to put it on hold in order not to send a wrong signal that what the executive said was true and that we were all compromised.

“We are likely to suspend the relevant House rules to pass the budget expressly, maybe within three days.”

A source told Vanguard that it was to forestall a repeat that members resolved to pass the budget as it had come from the executive without any form of scrutiny or amendment.

Beface:
[s]They have being doing it with previous government but unfortunately for them Buhari is now the president,hence bad market done hit them.[/s]

LadyExcellency:


This stupidity and embarrassment occasioned from the inability of Buhari's administration to present a coordinated Budget has never happened since the amalgamation of Nigeria.

This is a shame to this government where the executive laden corrupt budget was left in the hands of few Legislators to rewrite and forward to the Executive without the consent of all the members of NASS except the appropriation committee.

Beface:

The President refuses to sign the Budget because NASS inserted some unapproved projects which are not originally in the budget. The appropriation is in charge of the budget in NASS,so the budget has to pass through them but unfortunately for them they under rated the President thinking is going to be business as usual. So we the true Nigerians want the right thing done irrespective of how long it will take.

Sunnycliff:
Why has this seventh assembly always ride in selfishness in the duties they are called upon to do?

Beface:

The President refuses to sign the Budget because NASS inserted some unapproved projects which are not originally in the budget. The appropriation is in charge of the budget in NASS,so the budget has to pass through them but unfortunately for them they under rated the President thinking is going to be business as usual. So we the true Nigerians want the right thing done irrespective of how long it will take.

LadyExcellency:


This stupidity and embarrassment occasioned from the inability of Buhari's administration to present a coordinated Budget has never happened since the amalgamation of Nigeria.

This is a shame to this government where the executive laden corrupt budget was left in the hands of few Legislators to rewrite and forward to the Executive without the consent of all the members of NASS except the appropriation committee.

LadyExcellency:


This stupidity and embarrassment occasioned from the inability of Buhari's administration to present a coordinated Budget has never happened since the amalgamation of Nigeria.

This is a shame to this government where the executive laden corrupt budget was left in the hands of few Legislators to rewrite and forward to the Executive without the consent of all the members of NASS except the appropriation committee.