TheCable

Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says the appropriation of N70 billion to members of the national assembly as “palliatives” is callous and insensitive.

The human rights lawyer said the national assembly also earmarked N40 billion to purchase 465 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and bulletproof cars for principal officials and members. 

President Bola Tinubu had asked the lawmakers to amend the N819 billion supplementary appropriation act 2022 and extract N500 billion to allow the federal government to provide palliatives to cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal on Nigerians.

In the breakdown of the supplementary budget, N70 billion was appropriated to the national assembly to support the working conditions of new members, while N500 billion was earmarked for palliatives and other capital expenditures.

Reacting to the development, Falana said the national assembly acted with impunity, adding that the legislature does not have the right to authorise its own allowances without the approval of the Revenue Allocation Mobilization and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

“As if that is not enough, the members of the national assembly have earmarked N40 billion to purchase 465 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and bulletproof cars for principal officials and members. However, the legislators approved the sum of N500 billion for 12 million indigent people in a country where the National Bureau of Statistics has said that 62.9 per cent of people (133 million) are multidimensionally poor,” Falana said.

“The callous and insensitive decisions of the members of the national assembly constitute a flagrant contravention of section 70 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.

“It is crystal clear that by approving allowances in the form of palliatives for themselves without the approval of the Revenue Allocation Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, the members of the national assembly deliberately acted illegally and contemptuously. 

“As such actions can not be justified in a democratic society which claims to operate under the rule of law. We are compelled to call on the leaders and members of the national assembly to reverse the scandalous palliatives and purchase of exotic vehicles.

“However, if the illegal decisions are not reversed, we call on the Revenue Allocation Mobilization and Fiscal Commission to take urgent steps to prevent the national assembly from further usurping its constitutional functions. 

“Otherwise, we are going to commence contempt proceedings against the chairman of the RAMFC and the leaders of both chambers of the national assembly.”

But in a statement on Sunday, the senate said the N70 billion budgeted to “support their working conditions” is for purchase of furniture and to carry out repairs in lawmakers’ offices.