SAN FRANCISCO, June 15, (THEWILL) – Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has declared that the Senate would never surrender its constitutional powers to the Executive arm of government under any guise or circumstance.
Saraki insisted that even when the senate bends backward to accommodate issues from the Executive, such gesture should not be misconstrued to mean weakness or misinterpreted to mean that the constitutional powers assigned to the Senate do not exist.
Saraki was ruling on an Order raised by Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, on whether or not the National Assembly has powers to alter the Appropriation Bill as presented by the Executive.
Na’Allah drew the attention of his colleagues to a statement credited to the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who said the National Assembly erred to have altered the 2017 Appropriation Bill as he expressed disappointment in the legislature for delaying the passage of the 2017 Appropriation Bill which he signed on Monday.
Na’ Allah insisted that the constitution empowers the National Assembly to alter the budget submitted to it by the Executive based on the Constitution that has been in operation from 1999 to date.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this same Constitution we operated from 1999 to date has section 80, and the title of section 80 is ‘Power and Control over Public Funds’,” he said.
“I read: All revenues or other monies raised or received by the Federation not being revenues of other monies payable under this Constitution or any Act of the National Assembly into any other Public Fund of the Federation established for a specific purpose shall be payable to and for one consolidated fund of the Federation.
“Two says: No monies shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated revenue Fund of the Federation except to meet expenditure that is charged upon the Fund by the Constitution or where the issue of those monies has been authorised by an Appropriation Act, Supplementary Appropriation Act or Act passed in pursuance of Section 81 of the Constitution.
“Three: No money shall be withdrawn from any public funds of the Federation other than the Consolidated revenue fund of the Federation unless the issue of those monies has been authorised by an Act of the National Assembly.”
In his ruling, Saraki insisted that the senate would continue to defend the Constitution and ensure that its actions are covered by the Constitution at all times.
