HOW REPS’ THREAT OF VETO JOLTED JONATHAN

 

 Facts have emerged how threats by members of the House of Representatives to veto President Goodluck Jonathan on the appropriation bill forced him to sign the budget into law Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, although the budget bill has now become law, fears have been raised about its implementation as the executive has remained insistent that some amendments be made by the national assembly inspite of the signing of the bill by the president.

Legisreports sources reliably informed that the decision by President Jonathan to sign the budget was hinged on real threats from the House of Representatives which decided at its executive (closed door) session Tuesday to veto the president on the bill if he continued to withhold assent.

It was further gathered that hardly had the Reps risen from their executive session when some members sympathetic to the executive made surreptitious contact with the presidency informing Aso Rock presidential villa of the decision to pull the rug from the under the feet of the president.

Though feelers from the senate did not support the possibility of a successful veto of the bill, President Jonathan was however roused to prevent what could become a full-blown crisis with the legislature.

It was said that an unhappy Jonathan on hearing of the decision of the House called for the leaders of the national assembly for a signing ceremony at a very low-key level.

President Jonathan reportedly expressed reservations to the leaders of the national assembly before signing warning that the executive should not be blamed if implementation issues arose later.

The president’s capitulation to the legislature is said to have accounted for the lack of ceremony that usually accompanies the budget signing ritual as even journalists were barred from covering the hushed event.

The law stipulates that the national assembly can veto the president on a bill by voting two-thirds in support if assent is continued to be denied by the president.

It will be recalled that LegisReports, was the first to break the news when President Goodluck Jonathan signed the budget yesterday.