The Zamfara Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has chided Gov. Dauda Lawal for the alleged illegal presentation of the state’s 2025 budget proposal to the State House of Assembly on Thursday.
The party, therefore, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission ( ICPC) to investigate the alleged illegality by Lawal.
This is contained in a statement issued in Gusau on Thursday by the State APC Publicity Secretary, Malam Yusuf Idris.
“The Zamfara APC chapter is calling on the state government and the state House of Assembly to immediately reverse the budget presentation.
“We call on the state government to apologise to the people of the state or to face legal action.
“We are appealing to the nation’s anti corruption agencies especially the EFCC and ICPC to investigate the total abuse of financial regulations by the governor’s cabal to perpetuate illegality in our dear state,” Idris said.
The state APC chapter described the governor’s action as a disregard to the nation’s constitution as displayed by him and the state legislature in the presentation and receipt of the 2025 budget proposal.
Idris said, “The illegality that accompanied the budget presentation which was held at the State House of Assembly, today, Thursday.
“The most embarrassing thing the state government has done not only against itself but to the entire people of the state.
“A state Annual Budget Proposal presentation event is usually done openly for the entire world to see, know.
”This is also to possibly enable the public to comment or contribute to the way and manner public tax payers’ money will be utilised by the government in the incoming year.”
The party also lamented that the state government, in collaboration with some security personnel, shielded everyone, especially the media, from covering the presentation.”
He lamented that it was by implication denying the public knowledge or access to the budget.’
Idris added, “The legislature had, ahead of the presentation, decided to suspend nine out of the 24-member assembly. They were suspected to possibly challenge the document during and after presentation so that the process would go unchallenged. This development was coupled with the refusal of the member representing Kaura Namoda to participate in the presentation as he left the assembly. This is very unfortunate for the governor to present the budget proposal with less than two thirds members who cannot constitutionally pass any bill. Even the 14 members that remained in the assembly were said to have dropped to eight according to one media source.”
According to him, throughout the country, at this moment, there is no state assembly that has suspended about half of its members. Idris further lamented the suspension of the seven state house of assembly members since February 2024.
“The most unfortunate thing is that the suspended members have now remained under the illegal suspension for good 10 months while their salaries and allowance are being shared among the Principal officers of the House. However the Minority Leader of the House Aliyu Ango (APC-Talata Mafara South) was indirectly suspended and all his entitlements were also seized. As we all know, under the House Standing Rules, you can not suspend a member for more than two weeks. We call the attention of Gov. Dauda Lawal to know that governance must be done according to constitutional provision not personal interests and abusing the constitutional rights of others. All these will boomerang on him even before the end of his tenure,” he further said.
(NAN)
