Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose has presented N80.774 billion budget estimate to seven Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members of the House of Assembly for the 2015 fiscal year.
However, the Chamber was parked full of non-legislators.
Christened “budget of reality” yesterday’s presentation represents 77.7 per cent of the 2014 budget of N103.8 billion by the immediate past Governor of the state,Dr Kayode Fayemi.
However, the Chamber was parked full of non-legislators.
Christened “budget of reality” yesterday’s presentation represents 77.7 per cent of the 2014 budget of N103.8 billion by the immediate past Governor of the state,Dr Kayode Fayemi.
During yesterday’s budget presentation which took place at the floor of the state House of Assembly, members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmakers were absent.
The assembly’s gallery was, however, filled up to the brim as politicians, traditional rulers and captains of industries were in attendance.
Fayose on the occasion said the state government decided to reduce the budget to a more pragmatic and realistic one that would bring possible results to the people of the state.
Ekiti APC disapproves the presentation
Meantime, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state has condemned the attitude of the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, for presenting the 2015 Budget to seven of the 26-member of the House of Assembly in less than 20 minutes.
According to Ekiti State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the manner of the presentation of the budget by the Governor was constitutional breach, illegal and absurd.
The APC therefore counselled the governor to follow legal steps in the governance and financial management of the state.
‘’Seven members of PDP in the Assembly had earlier sat to illegally confirm commissioner-nominees and approve the dissolution and reconstitution of the local governments, among others.
‘’Monday’s illegal sitting with a full house of thugs was a new dimension to the constitutional breaches and lawlessness by the Executive.
“We never knew that Ekiti people could be brought to this low record in decency and respect for the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by herding thugs to the House of Assembly to join seven members to present state budget.
“The standard practice is for the governor to present the state budget to members in full session while the public sit at the gallery to watch proceedings. But in this instance, thugs intermingled with the lawmakers in a plenary in such a way that you cannot differentiate a lawmaker from a thug,” Olatunbosun said.
‘’The APC spokesman further criticized the barring of journalists, including the in-house correspondents, from covering the event, even as he berated the governor for rallying reporters to the Assembly after presenting the budget at the illegal sitting for a press briefing. He asked journalists to be professional in their duties to save democracy.
Olatunbosun’s words: “What is the use of calling reporters you intentionally barred from covering the main budget presentation to a post-budget presentation briefing if not to cover up the thugs that sat with the seven members to conduct that illegal sitting? This is time for activism in journalism. Reporters must begin to ask questions on the abnormality and breaches of the Constitution in governance process.”
To this end, Olatunbosun called the attention of Nigerians and lovers of democracy around the world to the reign of impunity in Ekiti State. He urged all organs and agencies of government responsible for budget processing not to get themselves involved in any financial transactions based on the “illegal budget”, saying all actions on the budget and transactions involving the features of the budget are illegal until it is legally presented to a legally constituted House of Assembly composed of 19 members of APC and their seven colleagues in PDP.
In like manner, he urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, to beam their lights on government financial transactions in Ekiti State in the face of mindless plot to defraud Ekiti people through illegal conduct in the financial management of public funds.
Tell your runaway lawmakers to return, Fayose tells APC
In a swift reaction, Governor Ayodele Fayose has told the All APC in the State to bring back the party’s runaway lawmakers to the State, saying; “No individual, group or political party can hold the State to ransom.”
Reacting to the party’s condemnation of Governor Fayose’s presentation of the 2015 Budget to the House of Assembly, Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka said: “It is shameful and wicked for the APC and its leaders to think that they can hold the entire people of Ekiti down just because they lost power.”
Olayinka, who warned the APC lawmakers of the consequences of losing their seats should they continue to abdicate their legislative duties, added that; “by the rule of the House of Assembly, each member must attend the House sittings for 181 days in a year.”
He said the sitting of the House in which the 2015 Budget was presented was lawful.
“The court of law is there for the loud-mouth in the APC to approach if they have any genuine complain to make.
“Today is December 15 (yesterday) and the APC lawmakers know that 2015 Budget must be presented as provided by the 1999 Constitution. Yet, some of the APC lawmakers refused to report in the House of Assembly, except three of them, who are interested in the progress and development of the State.”
