Rep. Samson Okwu is the Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Pension and represents Oju/Obi Federal Constituency of Benue State.

In this interview with Vanguard, he posits that President Jonathan should present 2014 Budget estimates irrespective of non-harmonziation of the Medium Term Economic Framework, MTEF.

Three weeks after the president expressed his comments on the differences between the Senate and the House on the benchmark, no change seems to have happened?

Samson Okwu

For me, it is not surprising but the only worry I have is the letter of Mr. President to the National Assembly saying that until both chambers agree on the benchmark, he will not present the budget.

That is actually my fear because should the two chambers fail to agree and the constitution says that the president must lay the document before the National Assembly before the end of the fiscal year.

So, what do we do? According to the legislative calendar, the House is supposed to go on Christmas break on December 23. So what do we do? That is my worry.

But House spokesman Rep. Zakari Mohammed has said that the practice is not for the Senate and House to agree on the benchmark for the presentation of the budget. So, why is the present insisting on that?

That’s why I said that, for me that reaction is unfair because last year, the House passed MTEF at 79, then the Senate had not even considered the MTEF at that point. But the President came and laid his budget and we considered it.

So, if you look at the Fiscal Responsibility Act, it says that the President shall send MTEF 90 days before the presentation of the Budget. First of all, the President has violated that provision. So, he ought not to have said until the National Assembly agrees before he will now bring the budget.

That is the only problem. If not, there is none. Assuming the National Assembly agree on 79 which is not what he wanted, will he come and redo the Budget? He will not. So, if he has a proposal let him bring the proposal and we will work on the budget. Our conference committee will continue to meet.

It has been claimed that the real fear is that the president would be booed whenever he enters the chambers. Is that so?

No body can boo Mr. President. He is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Whether you are APC, PDP or whatever party you call it, the seal of the President is the symbol of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and nobody can do it. We are not talking about party politics in that respect.

Does that lend credence to an emerging situation in the House where APC members are now having an edge?

What is important here is that we respect court decision that says that there is no faction in PDP. So, no body can move anywhere. The only problem is that some members now remain in PDP but take a decision with APC. That is the worry now.

But five PDP Governors have defected to APC and you still say no division?

That is not a division. Members in a large party like the PDP can have different opinions and views. If you have a different opinion from another person that does not mean you have a faction.

I think to that extent, there is nothing called faction in PDP as far as I am concerned. And the Electoral Act is clear about it that where there is no faction, no body can defect from the party to another party.

But we have a situation where members pretend to be PDP whereas they belong to APC in spirit. Does that augur well for PDP?

It does not augur well. But that means that the person does not work with the ideology of the party. If he does not work with the ideology of his party, well nobody can change it. But that does not mean that the party is not the majority in the House.

Well, what happens is that the decision of the House is by majority. So, anytime the decision comes and they take the majority, so be it but that does not stop PDP from being a majority party in the House.

Doesn’t that amount to anti-party activity?

It could be anti party but it is subject to a decision. That is it. The party can allow you to take a decision that favors your constituents. If it does not favour your constituents, it is only your constituents that can call you to order.