NASS has powers to alter budget – Dogara
Henry Omunu, Abuja
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara has said that the House is focused on using its oversight functions over the executive as a cooperative tool to bring development and better the lives of Nigerians rather than as a tool of adversary.
He made this statement on Tuesday while delivering a keynote address at a two-day summit on Inter-governmental/party relations and the budget reform process for sustainable development in Nigeria in Abuja.
He restated that the power of appropriation is vested in the legislature which means it can alter proposals by the executive in any manner it feels will be more beneficial to Nigerians, and shed light on reforms the House has done on the budget process, including a bill he sponsored on budget reforms.
Dogara said, “The budget is also a legitimate opportunity for the government to set its policy agenda and priorities. Thus, in almost all political systems, it is generally accepted that the executive has the primary role in developing an annual budget and presenting it to the legislature.
“However, the legislature plays a more active role in shaping the outlines of the budget submitted to it by the executive. In most presidential democracies, such as ours, the legislature has the right to review, in some cases, amend, alter, approve or reject the spending plan proposed by the executive.
“Suffice it to say that even in developed democracies, the executive and legislative branches have traditionally struggled to find an equitable balance of power over financial matters.
“Over the years, the National Assembly and the executive have often disagreed over basic and more fundamental issues ranging from the petroleum price benchmark for the budget and role of the National Assembly in amending or modifying budget proposals submitted by the executive to reflect diverse national development requirements.
Dogara also said that “Over the years, legislative oversight has been seen as more adversarial than cooperative. However, in conducting oversight, the principles of co-operative government and inter-governmental relations must be taken into consideration, including the separation of powers and the need for all spheres of government and all organs of state to exercise their powers and perform their functions in a manner that does not encroach on the functions of other arms.
“Seen in this light, the oversight function of the legislature complements rather than hampers the effective delivery of services with which the executive is entrusted,” Dogara stated.
He, therefore, called for a more cooperative goverment where the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, in their collective struggle to develop Nigeria and ensure better life for her citizens, will always adhere to a common loyalty to the country that is committed to securing the well-being of all the Nigerians and provide effective, transparent, accountable and coherent government for the country.
The speaker added that the outcomes and recommendations of oversight undertaken by the legislature should be eagerly received, studied and implemented by the executive as a measure of accountability.
He cited an instance where late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua requested for the report of the probe carried out by the House ad hoc committee on Customs in the 6th Assembly and started implementing the recommendations even before the report was adopted.
“I can give personal testimony that as chairman, House ad hoc committee on Customs, the report of the House investigation we conducted was requested for by him personally and he started to implement the recommendations,” he recalled.
Going further, the Speaker added that for intergovernmental cooperation to function effectively and yield the desired outcomes, the distinctiveness of each arm must be safeguarded in that its constitutional status, institutions, powers and functions of each arm must be respected.
Each arm of government, he maintained must remain within its constitutional powers; and when exercising those powers, it must not do so in a manner that encroaches on the institutional integrity of another.
“This means that checks and balances should be in place with mutual respect for the authority and powers of the other arms so as to achieve better cooperation.
“Each arm of government must take concrete steps to realize cooperative government by fostering friendly relations, assisting and supporting one another, informing one another of, and consulting one another on, matters of common
interest, co-ordinating their actions and legislation with one another; and adhering to agreed procedures.
“The various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are constitutionally required to account to the legislature, and they should always avail parliament of the complete picture on performance of the functions assigned to them as the consideration of the annual report of the MDAs alone may not give the complete picture of the performance of the relevant functions,” he added.
