Professor Sotonye Amakiri has added a voice of caution to the recent threat of impeachment of President Goodluck Jonathan issued by the members of the House of Representatives.
Speaking to The Newswriter, he said the impeachment of a president should not be trivialized and also should not be used as an instrument of distraction, as the nation, bedeviled by the deadly acts of Boko Haram, needs the concerted efforts of all to return peace to the land.
The House of Representatives has issued an ultimatum to the president, stating that members would begin an impeachment process by the end of September 2012, if there is no marked improvement in the implementation of the 2012 Appropriation Act.
The Honourable members alleged that while all revenue-generating agencies have surpassed their annual target for the year, it did not reflect in the implementation of the budget which they said was moving at a snail’s speed.
Professor Amakiri said he agreed with the lawmakers that the budget should be fully implemented for the benefit of the Nigerian people, but that the demand should be juxtaposed with the reality of the day.
He said, “Much needed resources and energy have been diverted to ensure peace and security in the nation since the president came on board, as so many people have lost their lives because of the actions of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
“Surely, this is enough distraction for a president eager to implement his transformation agenda. With the infiltration of apologists of the sect in the presidency and other arms of government, the president’s attention has been diverted to ensure safety of the citizens and this would definitely affect 100% implementation of the budget.
“Although the issue of security should not be overused as an excuse for the alleged slow implementation of the budget, it is expected that the lawmakers should team up with the presidency to provide lasting solution to the problem.”
The former Provost of the College of Education, PortHarcourt, now University of Education, said another worrisome issue is the many scandals rocking the National assembly.
He questioned the moral right of the lawmakers to put pressure on the president, when almost every committee set up by them ends up being accused of corruption.
“While they are calling on the President to carry out his duties effectively, it is also pertinent to say that the National Assembly should also do something about the spate of corruption affecting them which includes the arbitrary fixing of salaries and allowances for themselves in the midst of poverty pervading the nation. These rampant cases of corruption in the National assembly invariably affect the full implementation of the budget. Yes, the Executive has the burden of effecting the implementation of the budget, but they need the effective performance of the other arms of government to succeed,” he stated, asking, “How would the executive succeed if the lawmakers, the judiciary and the law-enforcement bodies fail to perform their duties effectively?”
Professor Amakiri urged the lawmakers to thread softly on the impeachment issue to avoid unnecessary heating up of the polity and compounding the nation’s problems, but rather collectively find solutions to whatever is causing the lack of progressive development of the nation.
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