Emergency rule: Senate, House still differ on control of funds

The state of emergency declared in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States is still generating ripples among members of the National Assembly.
While members of the Senate believe President Goodluck Jonathan should enjoy powers to administer funds of the three states under emergency rule, the House of Representatives members are insisting the governors should be allowed to have access to their allocations.
The House of Representatives spokesman, Zakari Mohammed, queried on Thursday: “If you say a governor should sit and funds not made available to him, what do you expect him to do?”
House member, Ibrahim El-Sudi, representing PDP Taraba State, moving the motion, argued that there are limitations to presidential powers during emergency rule.
El-Sudi pointed out that the House declaration that the governors should control their funds was constitutional and in line with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.
The Joint Conference Committee of both Houses had met on May 22, 2013 to harmonise the resolutions.
But on Thursday, the House of Representatives argued that Section 3 (e) of the transmitted Emergency Powers (General) Regulations 2013, which “Provides for the utilization of any funds of any State or Local Government in the Emergency area”, was unanimously rejected and deleted by the House but retained by the Conference Committee of both chambers.
The Senate’s spokesman, Eyinnaya Abaribe, was reported to have said that the House erred by deleting relevant sections of the report after initially concurring with all decisions at the joint conference.
Reacting, Mohammed insisted the House acted within ambit of the law, claiming that the so-called report of the conference committee was inferior to the 1999 Constitution.
He said: “If there are mistakes, as a House, we should be able to own up.
“The 1999 Constitution is superior to report of any conference report.”