Hundreds of protesters wednesday gathered at the Lagos State House of Assembly, asking the lawmakers to account for N28 billion constituency allowances they collected between 2015 and 2018 or face mass action.
But despite the protest, the lawmakers have insisted that the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, and some of his commissioners should appear before it to explain alleged infractions in the 2019 appropriation bill.
The lawmakers were alleged to have demanded the sum of N100 million from the State Executive Council to facilitate the presentation and passage of 2019 appropriation bill.
The protesters, under the aegis of Lagos Peoples Assembly (LPA), have warned the lawmakers against plan to initiate impeachment proceedings against Ambode.
The lawmakers had at a plenary last Monday alleged that the governor had started implementing the 2019 Appropriation Bill without presenting it formally to the assembly, which they claimed violated Sections 120 and 121 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
But contrary to the claims of the lawmakers, the governor was said to have sent the 2019 Appropriation Bill and virement to the assembly on December 22, 2018, with a cover note, requesting to present the 2019 budget on December 28.
However, the assembly allegedly turned down Ambode’s request on the ground that they were on recess.
The assembly also frustrated subsequent attempts by the governor to formally present the 2019 budget.
They later agreed that the governor would present the Appropriation Bill on January 21, but did not attend to the governor on the day the budget was scheduled for public presentation.
