Action Congress of Nigeria members in the House of Representatives on Thursday warned President Goodluck Jonathan over alleged non-implementation of Acts passed by the National Assembly.
The lawmakers said the non-implementation of Acts, particularly Appropriation Acts, was an “impeachable offence”.
The lawmakers gave the warning as the House debated a motion on the non-implementation of the Hydroelectric Power Areas Development Commission (Establishment) Act, 2010.
Minority Leader of the House and leader of the ACN caucus, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, recalled that the executive had consistently ridiculed the House by allegedly ignoring “several legislation passed by the National Assembly”.
He said, “We have many of such laws; they are not being implemented.
“Take the Appropriation Act for instance, it is meant to be implemented 100 per cent.
“But, every year, the President comes here and says the money law has been implemented 60 or 70 per cent and we clap for him.
“This is the most important Act (Appropriation Act) of the National Assembly, yet it is not implemented.”
Gbajabiamila advised the House to collate all the laws passed by the National Assembly but not implemented, adding that the Executive should be told the consequences of not implementing the laws.
Another ACN lawmaker and Chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, warned that the House could be compelled to invoke the powers of impeachment if it became necessary.
She said, “The non-implementation of the Appropriation Act is an impeachable offence.
“Let us be reminded of this: that the laws passed by this House should be implemented” .
The sponsor of the HYPPADC motion, Mr. Ibrahim Abo, observed that the “non-implementation of the Act is capable of causing disaffection between the Executive and the Legislative arms of government”.
He told the House that though N352.5m was appropriated to the commission in the 2011 budget, “no concrete action has been taken by the implementing ministry”.
He said the commission had the mandate of developing hydroelectric power producing communities by addressing the “poverty, loss of properties and diseases” suffered by the inhabitants.
The House mandated its Committee on Power to investigate the non-implementation of the Act and produce a report within four weeks.
However, the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, said the National Assembly was hesitant to invoke its powers to impeach the President because lawmakers did not want to “heat up the polity unnecessarily.”
Mohammed stated that the House would continue to engage the executive in discussions and keep the country at peace rather than invoking the impeachment option.
He added, “We will not do those things that will heat up the polity unnecessarily.
“But, this is not to say that when the time comes for us to use those powers we will shy away from using them”.
Mohammed also spoke on the move by the House to grant full autonomy to local governments in the country.
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