By Emman Ovuakporie and Johnbosco Agbakwuru

As controversy continues to trail the alleged removal of some key projects, including the Lagos-Calabar rail  project, and the inclusion of constituency projects in the 2016 Appropriation Bill,  as  passed by the National Assembly, some members of the House of Representatives have said that the power of appropriation is vested  in the legislature.

The lawmakers said there was nothing wrong with the inclusion of constituency projects in the budget.

They wondered why constituency projects should become an issue when  they were executed by the Executive arm of government without  allocations going directly to  lawmakers.

Speaking to Sunday Vanguard on the matter, Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Rep Chike Okafor, said the power for appropriation  is vested  in the legislature.

Okafor, who represents Ehime Mbano/Ihitte Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency of Imo State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, said, “As a matter of fact, the power of appropriation lies with us (the legislators), the implementation is with them (the executive).

“This National Assembly or House of Representatives is not a rubber stamp, so if you think or any agency or ministry thinks that the budget the way you brought it will be the way it will be returned it to you, then why not knock it off and sign it and start to implement it, where then lies the position and power of the legislature.

“So if the issue here is that we are having some changes here and there, we are the people’s representatives.”

He further said, “If I look at that budget as it was presented and I didn’t see anything that will benefit my constituency by way of health facility provision and I have the power of appropriation and I look through the figures and I make provision to provide health facility in my constituency which was not ordinarily provided for in the submission that was made and which is also needed in my community, have I committed any crime?

“I am from South East, Imo State and I am representing a constituency and they will hold me responsible and accountable, they will not hold the minister of health or the presidency accountable or responsible.

“If health centres have been provided here and there and there is non and in my constituency which they need and I sit hear and claim I represent the people and Chairman of House Committee on Health and Services, so there has not been any changes.

“It will be in that area for us to look for how to make provisions for me to be able to ask the ministry of health to help me, the power of implementation lies with them.”

Also supporting the inclusion of constituency projects in the budget, a member of the Appropriation Committee, representing Esan Centra/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency of Edo State, Rep Joseph Edionwele, said the projects belong to the people and not individual lawmakers.

Edionwele said, “Like I said before, they tend to look at government from this is the executive, this is the legislature, it is not correct, we are inclusive, so whatever that is good will affect all of us.

“So, when you talk of constituency projects, is it that the constituency project is my own project, no? But that I am representing a place if I say give them a health centre, is that too much, give them a classroom, a borehole, is that too much.

“Like some communities in my constituency that don’t have basic things like water, health centre etc, if we say give them rural electrification, rural roads, what are we talking about, we are talking about development and somebody else is somewhere complaining about constituency project.

“I think they should stop politics and govern and we should all come together to see that the Nigeria nation is more important.”

For Rep Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, representing Ukwa Federal Constituency of Abia State, “We are a budget writing legislature, the moment you submit or lay the budget before the National Assembly, it becomes the document of the National Assembly, and they have the right to rewrite, remove, adjust or add to the document according to the wishes and aspirations of the people.”