THERE is disquiet in the House of Representatives over Federal Government’s failure to implement 133 resolutions passed by the House between June 2011 and March 2013, findings by The PUNCH on Tuesday revealed.

Investigations showed that up to 150 resolutions had been passed by the House as at March 27 when legislators proceeded on Easter recess.

Records obtained from House sources indicated that 78 of the resolutions were passed between June 6, 2011 and June 6, 2012.

Another set of 72 resolutions were reportedly passed between July 2012 and March this year.

However, only 17 of the resolutions are said to have been either partially implemented by the executive or receiving its attention.

A National Assembly source conversant with legislative funding, told our correspondent in Abuja that, “Some of these resolutions may cost taxpayers between N1.5m and N2m each to produce; that is when motions have to go through public hearings and on –the-spot assessment before they become resolutions on the floor.

“Where public hearings are not involved, time is spent on research and debate to pass these resolutions that end up being ignored.”

One of such resolutions was the one asking President Goodluck Jonathan to brief the House on his administration’s efforts to curb rising insecurity in the country which has not been complied with.

The resolutions arising from the probe of the N2.07tr fuel subsidy probe have also not been implemented.

Another one generating heat between Jonathan and the House is the resolution demanding the sacking of the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms. Aruma Oteh, for allegedly lacking the qualification and competence to head the agency.

On September 22, 2011, the House passed a resolution demanding an investigation into the gang-raping of a female student of the Abia State University by five men. The resolution, our correspondent learnt, had not been implemented.

Findings showed that most Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government also ignored House resolutions dealing directly with their operations.

Under the 1999 Constitution, a resolution passed by one arm of the National Assembly is advisory and does not command the force of law.

The closest to having a force of law is when two-thirds majority of both chambers endorse a resolution passed by either of them.

Lawmakers accused officials in the executive arm of government of capitalising on this “loophole” in the constitution to implement resolutions only when they favour their interests.

In January 2012 when the House passed a resolution asking Jonathan to reverse his decision to remove fuel subsidy, the President’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, described it as a “mere expression of opinion.”

A lawmaker from Ekiti State, Mr. Bimbo Daramola, observed that the executive was deliberately attempting to make the legislature irrelevant by ignoring its resolutions.

“Why are we here then? If we are to pass resolutions that mean next to nothing, why are we here? Let them close the parliament and we go home,” he fumed.

Another member from Taraba State, Mr. Ibrahim El-Sudi, noted that in a democracy, the executive could not afford to ignore the resolutions of the parliament, arguing that the executive should challenge any resolution it found “not to be comfortable with before the law courts.”

El-Sudi stated, “Not until they go to court, they must always obey our resolutions and not to treat them with disdain. We have the control under Schedule II, Paragraph 12 of the Constitution.”

In a bid to deal with the trend, it was learnt that the House had resolved to seek enforcement through its Committee on Legislative Compliance.

A bill to amend the constitution in order to make National Assembly resolutions to have the force of law is also before the House.

http://www.punchng.com/news/133-reps-resolutions-not-implemented-by-fg-investigation/