‘Jonathan’s ministers most unaccountable in Nigeria’s democracy – Lawmaker
– Ministers don’t like answering to Parliament. – Ministers not accountable to the electorates and lawmakers. Most ministers in President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet refuse to answer invitation by the parliament because there is something they are hiding from Nigerians, federal lawmaker Jumoke Okoya Thomas said today. It was not clear if the lawmaker was […]
– Ministers don’t like answering to Parliament. – Ministers not accountable to the electorates and lawmakers.
Most ministers in President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet refuse to answer invitation by the parliament because there is something they are hiding from Nigerians, federal lawmaker Jumoke Okoya Thomas said today.
It was not clear if the lawmaker was referring to Petroleum Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke who has had running battles recently with the lawmakers over her refusal to appear before them.
However, Okoya Thomas made her point clear when she said ministers in the present government are the most difficult to work with in the last twelve years she has been in the National Assembly.
Delivering a goodwill message at a one-day procurement summit organized by the Procurement Officers Association of Nigeria (POAN) in Abuja, the lawmaker said:
“I will say clearly that Ministers don’t like answering to Parliament. You invite them over and over again to open up their books; they don’t want to open up their books because they have done something they shouldn’t do.
There is something they are hiding and it is not acceptable to the parliament. This is the first democracy of all that I have seen in this country that it has been difficult for them to be accountable to the people that put them on the seat.”
“It is not acceptable, and Nigerians will not allow that to continue because when you are spending other people’s money you need to be accountable to them. You have to tell us this is how I have spent our money because when you tell the parliament Nigerians will know what you are doing with their money.
I am just worried that it is not right for us to invite and when you see the president speaking for a minister not to show up before the National Assembly to be accountable to the people, it is very saddening” the lawmaker said.
Asked to clarify her earlier statement that ministers are scared of approaching the National Assembly, she said:
“They are not scared of approaching the parliament. What I am saying is that when they are invited to come and shed light on some of their activities, it is very necessary for them to come to the National Assembly so that we can have value for the money we are spending. These are monies from revenues, from tax payers. It is very necessary that we are accountable, that is what I am saying”.
Okoya-Thomas who is the House Committee Chairman on Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) said it was unimaginable that as at the second half of the year the budget has not been passed.
The one-day procurement summit was organized to promote and foster interaction between members and stakeholders on procurement practice in Nigeria.