UNCERTAINTY OVER NASS RESUMPTION, INEC's BUDGET PENDING AS SARAKI KEEPS MUTE ABOUT RESUMPTION

By: Jumoke Olasoji

It is uncertain whether the National Assembly will reconvene tomorrow as adjourned on July 24th when the House announced its recess.

This is drawn from the fact that the leadership of the National Assembly under the chairmanship of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki is yet to issue any official statement to that effect. 

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun, had stated that the National Assembly will reconvene on Tuesday to consider matters of public importance.

Stuck with this uncertainty is the 2019 supplementary budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC slated for consideration after the house resumes and other crucial matters of public interest awaiting the lawmakers' attention.

The silence on the part of the Assembly leadership also puts a standstill on the activities of some senators and House members, who were suppose to travel for Hajj rites.

Commenting on the situation, a House of Representatives member from the Northwest said:

“This budget is important but there is anxiety everywhere on the security implications of recalling members. 

“From the look of things, our leaders are looking at all options on how to make the ratification of the budget easier.”

According to Turaki Hassan, the spokesperson of the speaker,  House of Representatives, there ought to be communication from the clerk to that effect to ascertain resumption of the house.

“As I speak to you, there is no communication for now,” he said.


He doubted if the parliament will be able to sit on Tuesday, saying that would only happen if the clerk makes an announcement by the end of Monday.

In his own report, member of the House of Representatives representing Delta, (PDP), Ossai Nicholas stated that he had no knowledge of the House resumption on Tuesday. 

He said when such an action will be taken, leaders of political parties must be consulted.

“In line with our rules in the House, if they are to cut short our break for us to reconvene, there are laid down procedures for that,” he said.

 WHAT THE RULE SAYS

 House Rule V(18) (1-3) says:
“18. (1) Whenever the House shall stand adjourned to a date not fixed and it is represented to the Speaker by the Leaders of the political Parties in the House that the House shall meet on a certain day at a certain time, the Speaker shall give notice accordingly and the House shall meet on the date and at the time stated in the notice. 

(2) “Whenever the House stands adjourned either to a date fixed by Resolution or the Rule of the House, and it is represented by the Leaders of the Political Parties in the House to the Speaker that the public interest requires that the House should meet on an earlier or a later date or time than that on which it stands adjourned, the Speaker may give notice accordingly, and the House shall meet on the date and at the time stated in the notice.

(3) “Whenever the Speaker shall have given notice in accordance with either of the two preceding paragraphs, the Clerk shall communicate the terms of the notice to each member".

Another principal officer of the House, who spoke in confidence, said: 

“We have not been told when the National Assembly will reconvene to consider the poll budget. I know the Speaker assured INEC Chairman Mahmud Yakubu last week that we will give the budget a speedy consideration. We are awaiting a recall announcement. 

 “So far, Tuesday does not look practicable. The basic challenge is the crisis of confidence among members of the two chambers. 

“I think the National Assembly leadership is trying to manage the tempers arising from the defections and the siege to the Assembly complex last week. We are also talking to ourselves to allow reason to prevail.”

In his own words, the Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan said: 

“I am still waiting to be informed by the President of the Senate on whether we will sit on Tuesday or not. 
“Well, I will expect the Senate President to talk to me or call. I have not received any communication yet. 
“And normally, an announcement is supposed to be made. We have not heard of any as I speak with you.” 

However, there are indications that if the two chambers reconvene, the Senate may end up merely concurring with the report of the House Committee on the 2019 poll budget for INEC as the House Committee, chaired by Hon. Aisha Dukku, is said to have concluded the consideration of the budget before the abrupt recess of the National Assembly on July 24. 

A member of the committee said: 

“The House Committee has fine-tuned the budget in readiness for its consideration at the plenary. “To save time, the leaders of the two chambers were said to have agreed to adopt the budget ratified by the House. “Since the Senate is the hotbed of legislative crisis now, the chamber might only sit to concur with the report of the House.

“What the Assembly leadership is planning is to have a brief sitting on the budget. But we are all in suspense on when we will reconvene. We have not been notified of any sitting on Tuesday.”