President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday requested the Senate to review some clauses in the 2013 Appropriation Act to ensure the ensure hitch free implementation of the budget.

However , the amendment being requested by Mr President is perceived as capable of springing up new issues between the Presidency and the lawmakers.

Mr President had observed that some clauses in the 2013 Appropriation  Act are contradictory to the theory of seperation of powers between the Executive and the Legislature while some may delay the implementation of the budget , if left as it is.

Faulting the clauses, President Jonathan, in a letter to the National Assembly through the Senate President, David Mark and read at the plenary by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the day’s sitting, described the said clauses as injurious.

The letter entitled, “Submission of the 2013 Amendment Budget Proposal and the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) Amendment Budget Proposal” reads in parts:

“Furthermore, the 2013 Appropriation Act includes clauses which may be injurious to the spirit of separation of powers, and which could hamper the work of the executive arm of government, I therefore request that these should be reviewed.

“The relevant clauses are Clause 6(ii) states that, the Accountant-General of the Federation shall forward to the National Assembly full details of funds released to the government agencies immediately such funds are released”, while Clause 9 states that “all accounting officers of ministries, parastatals and departments of government who control heads of expenditures shall upon the coming into effect of this Act, furnish the National Assembly, on quarterly basis, with detailed information on the Internally Generated Revenue of the agency in any form whatsoever. Both clauses run counter to the established chain of reporting.

“Clause 7 states that, “the minister of finance shall ensure that funds appropriated under this Act are released to the appropriate agencies and or organs of government as and when due provided that no fun ds for any quarter of the fiscal year shall be deferred without prior waiver from the National Assembly.”

“This requires the minister of finance to seek a waiver from the National Assembly each time the Ministry of Finance cannot make full funds releases to MDAs when due. As you are aware, the nation experiences a shortfall in revenue once in a while and if the minister seeks a waiver on each occasion, the practice would tie down budget implementation, as this would involve the minister writing a formal letter to the National Assembly to be presented in plenary and sent to the relevant committees for discussion. These would create delays and constraints on the budget implementation.

“Clause 10 states, “all revenue, however, described including all fees received, fines, grants, budgetary provisions and all internally and externally generated revenue shall not be spent by the Securities and Exchange Commission for recurrent or capital purposes or for any other matters, nor liabilities thereon incurred except with Prior Appropriation and Approval by the National Assembly.

“Considering the fact that the budget of SEC does not form part of the core 2013 Federal Budget as presented to the National Assembly, I believe that this clause ought not to have been inserted in the 2013 Appropriation Act in the first place.

“Secondly, the import of the clause is tantamount to shutting down the business of the commission with potential negative impact on the capital market.”

President Jonathan had stressed that the clauses, if not amended,  could derail the work of the Executive arm of government.

He also noted that the clause, which provides that SEC budgetary allocations and revenue shall not be spent by the Securities and Exchange Commission except with prior appropriation by the National Assembly will only cripple the commission.

While it is expected that Mr President ‘s request may not go easy with the lawmakers , it could be confirmed that those clauses were articulated by the lawmakers to ensure closer grip on the budget implementation procedures and that Securities and Exchange Commission be tamed for once.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has dismissed the prospect of a diplomatic wrangling with the United States and other western nations over a controversial state pardon granted ex-corruption convicts last week.

Foreign Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, said on Monday that the amnesty granted by President Goodluck Jonathan will not strain bilateral relations between Nigeria and other countries, less than a day after America’s richest man, Bill Gates, pulled out from a planned anti-polio campaign in Nigeria.

The pardon of former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and former Managing Director of the defunct Bank of the North, Shettima Bulama, both jailed for huge fraud, has infuriated many Nigerians, and has drawn scathing criticisms from the US, which has warned of sanctions.

The US said it viewed the decision as a “setback in the fight against corruption”.

Federal Government rejected that assertion and immediately summoned the U.S Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy in Abuja, on Friday, in protest. The foreign ministry described the US remarks as “undue interference and meddlesomeness in the internal affairs of Nigeria’’.

The Federal Government on Monday played down the prospects of drawing severe consequences over its decision to free Messrs Alamieyeseigha and Bulama.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ashiru, gave the assurance while addressing newsmen on the sideline of the inauguration of newly-appointed Foreign Service Officers.

Ashiru said arising concern over the presidential decision, will be resolved, and denied the Jonathan administration was abdicating an already shaky anti-corruption campaign of his government.

“The misunderstanding would be resolved,’’ the minister said. “I can assure you that we will resolve the misunderstanding; the fight against corruption is ongoing and I believe we all have a part to play, the government and the people.’’

The minister had earlier charged the newly-appointed foreign affairs officers to have “a profound understanding and appreciation of Nigeria’s national interests’’ as they undertook tasks ahead of them.

He also urged the officers to promote and protect the interests of the country at all times.

He advised the officers to take advantage of the five-day induction course organized by the ministry, stressing that it would enable them to compete favourably globally.

Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja