In what it described as a reaction to public outcry against a breach of the constitution, the House of Representatives yesterday reversed its earlier decision to grant powers to President Goodluck Jonathan over funds of states and local governments under emergency rule. Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states are currently under emergency rule.

Consequently, the lawmakers revoked section 3(2)(e) of the harmonised, adopted and National Assembly-approved Emergency Powers Regulations that give the president power to use state and local government funds for security purposes, and urged the Senate to give it force of law by concurring and adopting the amendment.

The decision was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi (PDP, Taraba) where he argued that empowering the president contravenes the 1999 Constitution (as amended), against several Supreme Court decisions and negates the whole intent of amendments on the Emergency Proclamation in ensuring democratic structures are in place during the period of emergency rule.

“The conference report actually negates everything else we have done. That single amendment negates all others that we have done”, El-Sudi said while drawing attention to the indirect withdrawal of administrative powers from the governors of the states who would have no funds to carry out their duties if the presidency failed to release them.

“On one hand, we said administration remains with governors and, on the other, we say fund lies in the hands of the president; how will the governors administer the states?” he queried.

He noted that Nigeria operates a federalism: “The federal government has no stake in issues of money of states and local governments and, therefore, the president cannot withhold the funds. The issue of budget or funds belonging to the state is a constitution matter. And the money is not just lying there idle; they have a budget they need to pursue.”

The lawmaker also pointed out that the constitutional responsibility of the federal government is to provide security for the lives and property of its citizens without recourse to state funds and that the president can explore the option of a supplementary budget to fund the emergency rule.

In his ruling on the motion, speaker of the House Hon. Aminu Tambuwal appealed for support from his colleagues for the motion, saying that he would never support an institution of arrogance that does not correct its mistakes.

“Attention has been drawn to the constitution provision of our earlier decision,” he said, adding that there have been reactions about the impropriety of the act. “If we take a decision clearly against the constitution, and attention is drawn, we will not lose anything to do the correct thing. We will reject any provision that is against the constitution,” he said.

But three lawmakers opposed the motion based on the submission of one of them, Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) that the cited reasons for the amendments apply to normal situations and not to an emergency one as is the case.

“There should be a balance between the lives of the people there and the funds we are talking about. No money is equivalent to one life, so if money will allow for protection, we should not hesitate,” he said.

The motion was approved by 194 lawmakers against 3.

Source:leadership.ng/news/290513/emergency-rule-reps-withdraw-jonathan-s-power-over-states-fund

Good,Gooder,Goodest.

Where they sleeping before? If am GEJ i will empty the finances in those states before the senate thinks of convening. You think its water abi sand they use to deployt troops to war abi?

they will have to wait for six months

As long as the SOE remains, the fed govt should not benefit financially from it, defence budget should not be a blank cheque in any guise. The house of reps did well, I believe the Senate will follow suite.

I can't read this. It's way too small on my screen.

Why
did
you
post
it
like
this
?

Poor man dey cry, Rich man dey mess...

They have gone mad again, so we should use the federal money meant for other things to fund the soe that the northern governors/leaders brought unpon themselves?. This reps has never wished us well before so is not a big deal. The fact remains that as long as the soe last it will be funded with the states funds because they brought it unpon themselves.

why do Nairaland still advertise LIBERTY RESERVE when we knw they've been shut down?
Abi Seun wan vanish people money nii?

So,Gov Iyakwo Ø̶̷̩̥̊͡Ƒ̶̷̩̥̊͡ Adamawa state cn №ω heave a sigh Ø̶̷̩̥̊͡Ƒ̶̷̩̥̊͡ releave №ω.Hope he won't sue GEJ again?

Reps have lost their minds ? So they support State of Emergency but want the Governors to still have access to funds to sponsor more mayhem or launder ?

Are the governors suppose to retain their seats after the declaration of the emergency rule? Somebody should please explain to me because to me this our president is just doing everything awkwardly.

Wonders never end. What of over N900billion budgeted for security?

sum1 should summarize diz novel..

Let the funds lie....

Anybody read dt pls?

na una fault? If the president requests for supplementary budget, i hope you reps will not hesitate to approve without adding to it in order to enrich your pockets. This democracy na complete nonsense. Imagine how happy these governors will be. What is going to be their contributions towards this insurgency. Stupid system. Look at how Ameachi and is friends will continue to look down on the president.

This part of the Constitution sucks!!!Where were these governors when Boko Haram took complete control of their states?Democracy at times dey tire person joooor.

Adamawa insecurity is not all that serious that calls for state of emergency. Is the north been marginalized? Where is our ONE NATION, ONE DESTINY core value. WE need to understand the true concept of democracy in this country. For those calling for Nigeria to divide, they have forgotten or were not born when the civil war was fought. The simple answer to our problems is to learn how to leave in peace not in pieces. What we are lacking in this country is leaders with foresight and who are willing to utilize our abundant resources to develop our infrastructure, control corruption, provide good and qualitative health care and educational facilities from villages, wards in local councils, towns and cities and more importantly Provide employment to our teeming youths....shi ke nan! Instead of bla..bla.bla..here and there...National Assembly, Presidency, North, South...this abusing that....Where are we heading to for God's sake? Are we really in the civilized world? WE don't respect our leaders and our leaders mess us with poor governance.....Haba!

Shame on all Legislators of Southern extraction who supported dis pro-Boko motion. Death is ur punishments

Everyone likes to celebrate what the reps do. Most of the time reasonable people simply ignore them. Try and find out only very few of their nonsense resolutions are even read by anyone.

Do they have the power to revoke something jointly passed with the Senate?

The idea of a violent state being responsible for the funding of SOE was a good idea. All other states shouldn't suffer their govenor's inability to maintain peace and security. SOE should only be funded by FG during natural disasters which is an "act of god",not violence and insecurities mostly caused and popularized by the ruling class that swore to secure its people.

Let me get this straight. The federal government controls the army, navy, police, customs and immigration, SSS, etc. All the outfits that should maintain law and order, security and the borders. They also control the prisons, where the captured Bokites are kept, temporarily, to be released by their colleagues. Yet the same federal government in failing to handle their security responsibility would like to usurp the funds of some states, where SOE has been declared by them. So they'll provide salaries for the workers, pay for reconstruction and revitalisation of services, after the SOE or what. Or are they just trying to transfer the billing, while maintaining control of these agencies?

gboss4sure: They have gone mad again, so we should use the federal money meant for other things to fund the soe that the northern governors/leaders brought unpon themselves?. This reps has never wished us well before so is not a big deal. The fact remains that as long as the soe last it will be funded with the states funds because they brought it unpon themselves.

don't mind them. They'll always be bias cos its affects their state. I blame jeg 4 allowing the gov on seat

Babaji111: Adamawa insecurity is not all that serious that calls for state of emergency. Is the north been marginalized? Where is our ONE NATION, ONE DESTINY core value. WE need to understand the true concept of democracy in this country. For those calling for Nigeria to divide, they have forgotten or were not born when the civil war was fought. The simple answer to our problems is to learn how to leave in peace not in pieces. What we are lacking in this country is leaders with foresight and who are willing to utilize our abundant resources to develop our infrastructure, control corruption, provide good and qualitative health care and educational facilities from villages, wards in local councils, towns and cities and more importantly Provide employment to our teeming youths....shi ke nan! Instead of bla..bla.bla..here and there...National Assembly, Presidency, North, South...this abusing that....Where are we heading to for God's sake? Are we really in the civilized world? WE don't respect our leaders and our leaders mess us with poor governance.....Haba!

Thanks for your submission,some people simply lack DEPTH! And that is one of our cardinal problems in this country,the bane of our leaders too!We should learn to live in any semblance of PEACE and pray and work towards a purposeful leadership,otherwise what is happening in Sudan may be a child's play.Talk is cheap!

don't wori, its d house of rep. They make so much noice without action. Take a clue frm the subsidy removal saga

Evergreen4: Are the governors suppose to retain their seats after the declaration of the emergency rule? Somebody should please explain to me because to me this our president is just doing everything awkwardly.

When Marshal Law/State of Emergency takes effect, power is divested from the state governors so that there'll be a central control and besides nobody would declare a state of emergency if the governors are well capable of controlling the situation

I dont get this GEJ's version of State of Emergency

gboss4sure: They have gone mad again, so we should use the federal money meant for other things to fund the soe that the northern governors/leaders brought unpon themselves?. This reps has never wished us well before so is not a big deal. The fact remains that as long as the soe last it will be funded with the states funds because they brought it unpon themselves.

Ummm, hateful Mugu, internal security is the job of the Federal Govt. Imagine Obama telling Bostonians that they brought the recent bombings upon themselves and should thus pay for any Federal Govt. Security measures?

Dont let your hate devour you, abeg, try to see reason sometimes.

The problem with Nigeria is that we have this propensity to look at our government like a meritocracy in which the president is president by virtue of his superior wisdom and ability so we tend to jump at the opportunity to give him whatever powers we can but it is because the president is all and get out that the rest of our government is a farce and the country is in an advanced state of disrepair, here they concluded that what three men could not do one man can do, forgetting that they have also made this one man lord over 33 other states, it is far too much and the president cannot influence and stimulate the country all by himself.

In what it described as a reaction to public outcry against a breach of the constitution, the House of Representatives yesterday reversed its earlier decision to grant powers to President Goodluck Jonathan over funds of states and local governments under emergency rule. Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states are currently under emergency rule.

Somebody should clear this for us oo. Is it Emergency Rule or just State of Emergency. Last I heard, all the democratic government structures are still in place; from the Governors to even the LGA Chairmen. Let's get it straight.

otokx: Where they sleeping before? If am GEJ i will empty the finances in those states before the senate thinks of convening. You think its water abi sand they use to deployt troops to war abi?

Why should gej declare state of emergency when he`s not prepared to fund it? Kudos to the House for correcting their mistake.