Why Reps are after Jonathan

Written by Taiwo Adisa, Abuja Monday, 

FURTHER details emerged at the weekend as to the real intents of those behind the impeachment threat against President Goodluck Jonathan in the House of Representatives, as sources confirmed that a part of the agenda has to do more with the 2015 electoral battle than the disagreement over the implementation of the national budget.
It was gathered that some members of the House of Representatives had actually put it on their heads to be foot-soldiers of the impeachment plot and such members had met some senators before the Minority Leader of the House, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, raised the impeachment bid on the floor of the House.
Sources confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune that some of those behind the plot had even convinced members of the House  from the South-South by asking them what they had benefited individually even with a president from the area.
It was also confirmed that some fifth columnists outside the National Assembly were actually behind the bid and that the forces were pushing that both President Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo should be listed for impeachment.
Members of the House of Representatives, last Thursday, threatened to impeach the president if he did not implement the budget 100 per cent by September 2012.
Sources further said that one of the main grouses of the minority parties in the House was the refusal of the president to honour a purported summons issued to him over the security situation in the country.
While the House says it has the power to summon every Nigerian in respect of its powers in Sections 88 and 89 of the constitution, the president’s aides have argued that the president is exempted from such summons by the constitution and that he also has constitutional immunity which will make the issuance of warrant of arrest on him a futile effort.
Besides, the presidency had said that the House did not write to formally invite the president over the security issue.
It was gathered that some of those behind the plot attempted to lobby the Senate over the matter but some of the senators asked, “what would be the offence to be levelled against the president?”
The senators, who were spoken to, also informed them that the Senate would always handle such issues with maturity and that the chamber would not jump at issues just because they were in public domain.
“I came to the knowledge  last week that some fifth columnists are behind the move by House members to champion impeachment moves against the president. It is an agenda that has to do more with 2015 and the stance of the president, whether he wants to seek reelection or not. But I can assure you that some people are actually behind the move,” a source said, adding that the Senate would not toe the same path as the House in resolving executive/legislature issues.
Another source said that the House members were angered that the administration of President Jonathan had not been treating releases to the National Assembly specially and that many times, the Finance Minister, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, had refused to specially release funds meant for the legislature.
Even though the president respects the first line charge for the National Assembly, the delay in sharing the proceeds of the federation account also affects the funds that come into the legislature but the lawmakers are easily angered when they do not see their money at the end of the quarter.
It was further learnt that the House members, who applauded the motion by Gbajabiamila last Thursday, were angered primarily that their funds were not being given express treatment by Okonjo-Iweala and that the president should have instructed her on how to handle assembly funds.
Besides, it was also learnt that the camp of Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, might be backing the impeachment bid as further securing the support of the vocal minority in the House and that he might not be concerned whether the bid sails through or fails.

SOURCE: Nigerian Tribune, 23 July 2012. http://tribune.com.ng