The House of Representatives was thrown into a rowdy session after lawmakers clashed over a proposal to invite President Bola Tinubu to explain persistent delays in the implementation of the 2025 Appropriation Act and the non-release of funds for constituency and zonal intervention projects.
The controversy began when Benedict Etanabene (Delta State) raised a point of privilege over a June 29 circular issued by the Accountant-General of the Federation, directing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to suspend payments for constituency projects pending fresh verification. He argued that the directive would further delay budget implementation and urged the House to summon the President for an explanation.
The debate intensified when Alex Ikwechegh (Abia State) presented a motion highlighting poor funding of capital projects, delayed releases to MDAs and unpaid contractors. He supported inviting Tinubu to address lawmakers on the funding gaps, saying they were affecting infrastructure delivery and security operations.
However, Yusuf Gagdi, Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, opposed the proposal, arguing that responsibility for budget implementation lies with the relevant MDAs rather than the President. His remarks sparked loud protests from colleagues, forcing Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to repeatedly call for order.
The Speaker eventually ruled that the prayer seeking to summon the President was not contained in the original motion submitted to him and therefore could not be entertained. Instead, the House adopted other resolutions, including setting up an ad hoc committee to engage relevant fiscal authorities on budget releases, contractor payments and implementation challenges, with a report expected within four weeks
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