2017 Budget, Femi Falana Advises VP Osinbajo Not To Sign

Human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has advised the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo not to sign the 2017 appropriation bill, stressing that it was illegally increased by the National
Assembly.

Falana who spoke in Ilorin , the Kwara State capital during  a colloquium organised by the Movement For Genuine Change to mark the 50th Anniversary of Kwara State, said that President Mohammadu Buhari being on vacation, is not competent to sign the appropriation bill into law.

He explained that since the President via a letter written by him informed the National Assembly that he was proceeding on vacation, all Presidential powers had automatically been transferred to  Yemi Osinbajo who is now the Acting President.

He further added that until another letter is written by the President to the Federal Parliament at the end of his vacation, he (Buhari) cannot exercise the powers of his office.

"The President is not competent to sign any bill into law while he is on vacation. The constitution did not envisage that a President who is on vacation and an acting president who is standing proxy for him will be exercising presidential powers simultaneously.

"To that extent, 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 said.

He also added that the National Assembly had no constitutional powers to increase the budget presented by Buhari and that  it was constitutionally, out of place for the legislators to increase their share of the budget.