NEWS
Reps Summon Fashola Over Comment On 2017 Budget
The House of Representatives has invited the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, for alleging that the National Assembly tampered with his ministry’s 2017 budget proposal.
The minister had a fortnight ago accused the lawmakers of ‘doctoring’ the ministry’s budget and “inserting frivolous projects.”
But the House, while adopting a motion by Abubakar Sadiq (APC, Adamawa), described the minister’s assertion as baseless, and “breach of parliamentary privileges and incitement of the citizens against the legislature.”
The lawmakers constituted an ad-hoc panel to be led by Aliyu Sani Madaki (APC, Kano) to engage the minister and report back in two weeks.
Other lawmakers who spoke said Fashola must be called to order.
Before ruling on the matter, Speaker Yakubu Dogara said some officials in the Executive arm speak without considering the position of the Constitution.