By Bosco Bush
Deputy Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), Hon. Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, has revealed the ordeal facing finance ministers, both at the national and state levels.
He said they (finance Ministers) discharge their duties under an oppressive environment from their respective leaders.
Oyet disclosed this matter during a 3-day capacity-building workshop organized for the members of the Committee of Finance and Economic Planning-TNLA, Ministers of Finance, Investment, and Directors of Planning from the 10 states and 3 administrative areas.
“I know the ministers of finance, they operate under very difficult circumstances beginning with the national level. At the state level, you have a very powerful individual over you,” Oyet said.
He explained that the finance ministers are always directed to do things they may not agree with, and they have no choice but to comply due to the absence of strong institutions and laws.
“The ministers of finance are always directed to do even what they don’t like. You’re directed to do what you may even know that this is wrong, but you have no choice. In the absence of strong institutions, in the absence of strong laws, you have no choice other than to comply,” he stated.
To address this contradiction, Oyet recommended the need for a strong parliament that can hold these powerful individuals accountable through strong legislation.
“The parliament, the representative of the people must be strong enough to hold anybody accountable. I know at the state level the parliament is even suppressed because the governors are very powerful,” he said.
Oyet also alleged that the state governors fear budgeting, and they run the states from their pockets, as they own the Personal Income Tax and respond to government needs from their pockets because the money is under their beds.
He added that the state parliaments can summon any governor who doesn’t comply with the fiscal discipline through the Council of States.