A member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Igariwey Iduma-Enwo, on Wednesday approached an Abuja Federal High Court to challenge the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue states in the country with a bailout of N713.7bn.

Many states already owed backlog of unpaid salaries by May 29 when Buhari assumed office as President.

The states later turned to the Federal Government for rescue, a development that informed the President’s action.

But, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1022/15, which the Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker from Ebonyi State filed on Wednesday, Iduma-Enwo is seeking to know whether
Buhari has powers under the 1999 Constitution to give the bailout without the approval of the National Assembly.

On the list of the defendants in the suit are the President; Attorney-General of the Federation; Federal Ministry of Finance; Accountant-General of the Federation; Auditor-General of the Federation; and the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

Iduma-Enwo, who represents Afikpo-North/South Federal Constituency, is urging the court to determine whether Buhari could, by presidential “fiat”, direct that public money
from the pool account of the Federal Government should be disbursed to states and local governments without recourse
to the National Assembly, “the authority vested with the power of appropriation in this case.”

Part of the originating summons read, “Whether having regards to the combined effect of sections 192, 163, 164 and 168 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which prescribes the way and manner public revenue shall be distributed from the distribution pool account, the 1st defendant (Buhari) can by itself or by way of fiat, issue
lawful directives to the 3rd-6th defendants to appropriate, distribute, allocate and disburse public revenue from the distributable pool account to the federal, state and local governments without the prescription of the National Assembly.”

The plaintiff is asking the court to declare the action of the President and his co-defendants “unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful, null and void.”

He is also seeking an order of “perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from giving out funds to the states and local governments without the prescription of the
National Assembly.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit. Speaking with journalists at the National Assembly soon after filing the suit, Iduma-Enwo said he decided to
challenge Buhari because he acted alone without regard for the principle of separation of powers.

He noted that while he sympathise with the states, especially now that many civil servants could not fend for their families due to non-payment of salaries, the President
must still follow the “due process of law.”

The lawmaker added, “Let him show us where it is stated in the Constitution that the President can unilaterally give money without the approval of the National Assembly.

“It then means that one day they can sit at Aso Rock and pass the national budget.

“Why do we have the National Assembly if matters like this can be handled by fiat without letting the National Assembly know about it or play its role as the appropriating
authority?”

http://www.punchng.com/news/rep-sues-fg-over-n713-7bn-bailout-to-states/

Mr. Igariwey Iduma-Enwo looking for cheap recognition. Oniranu

its good

Way to go man.Let the courts decide

Let these people forget bout this bailout abeg

Check and balance is allow in a democracy, I don't have anything against their decision to carry out their responsibility as people representative...... though is not going 2 end anywhere more than news paper , wasting of time and resource, instead of using the money to provide portable water even if is not more than 4 household in your state, using it 2 fight shadow at the court

I really can't find words to express myself for now.

Attention seeking?

High on kerosene?

madridguy:
Mr. Igariwey Iduma-Enwo looking for cheap recognition. Oniranu

. Sentiment has blind ur eyes, because u have phone u jus type any tin. That is the rit tin to do. Pls u must nt comment. All these teen

Very correct,after all the Gov with moth diarrhea is accusing GEJ of unilaterally approving fund,why then should the PMB go the same way?

Why do you guys want to crucify the Rep?, should politics & pressing needs blind our eyes to common sense? Agreed that some innocent citizens are so pressed because of the financial recklessness of their governors & are such, need desperate means of survival. But this must be done constitutionally so as not to pave way for autocracy and such recurrences in the future. The President has no power to authorise UNAPPROPRIATED FUNDS by the national assembly. For Christ's sake, we are no longer in a military era. Buhari needs to realize this on time because it appears he's still learning to be democratic, same problem we had with OBJ. I personally think an ex-military man who wants an executive position needs to first enrol in the legislature to be properly schooled in democratic principles, lest he abuses power on assuming duty as President/Governor.

He has the right to sue and unsue. After all, the president belongs to nobody.

After winning court case, the next agenda is how to impeach the president based on the unconstitutional action.
After all, he has no candidate in the NASS. And like nobody's property, nobody would be on his side.

we re in democracy we should do things In d right way joor. I concur with d lawmakers.

emmasege:
Why do you guys want to crucify the Rep?, should politics & pressing needs blind our eyes to common sense? Agreed that some innocent citizens are so pressed because of the financial recklessness of their governors & are such, need desperate means of survival. But this must be done constitutionally so as not to pave way for autocracy and such recurrences in the future. The President has no power to authorise UNAPPROPRIATED FUNDS by the national assembly. For Christ's sake, we are no longer in a military era. Buhari needs to realize this on time because it appears he's still learning to be democratic, same problem we had with OBJ. I personally think an ex-military man who wants an executive position needs to first enrol in the legislature to be properly schooled in democratic principles, lest he abuses power on assuming duty as President/Governor.

I totally agree with you.

very good move

Baba needs to attend constitutional lectures though, ignorant is not an excuse of law that is if we have one.

Nass = bunch of silly Id*iots.

I agree! Was the said amount incorporated in the budget? There's always room for supplementary budget! I guess a dictator'll always remain a dictator!

Buhari has powers under the 1999 Constitution to give the bailout without the approval of the National Assembly.

Lets hear what the courts says.

scam at the highest oder , bailout fund , hahaha

ogba20:
. Sentiment has blind ur eyes, because u have phone u jus type any tin. That is the rit tin to do. Pls u must nt comment. All these teen

got me laughing out.

Buhari is ann unrepentant dictator and tyrant.God pass am

oshomole the criminal who have eaten his state money , come dey point another person for the money he ate. why cant' he build Edo state like akwa ibom

this is what happen when you make an illiterate a president.

The children of hate and anger will not want the court processes to take place.
My only fear with this bail out issue is that the lazy thieving state governors might/will turn Oliver twist and ask for more.Pmb gave out the cash with good intentions but it should have been done properly. Let the courts decide sha

Good one my able representative. Everyone is just going crazy in this country including the so called president and his deranged followers, behaving anyhow as if this country is their private company. Mind you, the man in question is not a push over, ask Sam Egwu what he did to him when he was a local government chairman.

Do you mean your fada is teen ?

ogba20:
. Sentiment has blind ur eyes, because u have phone u jus type any tin. That is the rit tin to do. Pls u must nt comment. All these teen