Don’t sign the 2017 budget, Falana tells Osinbajo
Human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, not to sign the 2017 budget because it was illegally increased by the National Assembly.Human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, not to sign the 2017 budget because it was illegally increased by the National Assembly.Falana said in Ilorin, during a colloquium organised by the Movement for Genuine Change to mark the 50th anniversary of the creation of Kwara State.He said the controversy behind whether the Acting President had presidential powers or not should stop since the president had transferred powers to the vice.Falana said, “Pending the resumption of duties by President Buhari, the Acting President, Prof. Osinbajo, is competent to sign all bills validly passed by the NASS.“If President Buhari did not exercise powers during his vacation even though he was in the country, why would he want to do so while he is on medical vacation abroad?“Instead of dissipating energy over the competence of an appropriation bill signed into law by the Acting President, Nigerians should subject the 2017 budget to scrutiny.“We are therefore calling on the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who is a professor of law not to endorse and sign the illegal appropriation bill of 2017 into law.”Falana also said the National Assembly has no constitutional powers to increase the budget presented by Buhari.He said the legislators erred constitutionally by increasing their share of the budget.An Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Opadokun, who also spoke on the occasion, agreed with Falana that the National Assembly had no right to increase the budget.He said, “The legislature does not have the legal authority to increase the budget because they are not the ones that will scout the revenues that will come in and they are not the ones to execute it.”
