PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) dominated Anambra State House of Assembly was yesterday rocked by a free for all over deliberation on the 2008 Appropriation Bill of N84.2 billion.

The rowdy session, witnessed exchange of punches among the lawmakers with furniture in the chamber damaged.

Daily Champion recalls that controversy had dog the passage of the budget submitted last December by Governor Peter Obi as the lawmakers and the executive traded accusations on the delay.

Trouble started yesterday when the Speaker, Mr. Anayo Nnebe called for second reading of the budget without the Committee on Appropriation headed by Hon. Ikenna Mbazuluike-Amechi presenting its report lawmakers opposed to the move sprang to their feet shouting no! no!, arguing that at their executive session it was agreed that the committee should first present its report before any other thing is done.

When the Speaker could not pacify the opponents on the second reading without presentation of the budget , the committee chairman was asked to present the report . Hon Mbazuluike Amechi announced that the budget had been slashed from N84.2 billion to N57.6 billion.

"This report is an executive summary and it has the budget as proposed by the state at N84.2 billion. We took several factors into consideration, we looked at the budget size for last year, we looked at the actual revenue that the state recovered last year which was in the neighbourhood of N30 billion. We looked at the actual expenditure of this state last year which was N39 billion.

"These are figures that we got on request from the relevant government agencies and the have also worked at the intended revenue or in flow for the 2008 fiscal year for this state. We have looked at the revenue from IGR, revenue from Federal Allocation and we have looked at the anticipated revenue from the Paris club and excess crude, VAT and other sources as well as the anticipated loans and external loans", Amaechi explained.

He later presented the budget as recommended by the committee and it was seconded by Hon. Gabriel Oneynwife.

Another trouble however started when the Majority Leader Hon. Njideka Ezeigwe moved a motion for second reading of the committee report. He said, "in line with order 78, sub order 3 of 7 of the standing order is upon me to make for the expenditious consideration on passage of the appropriate Bill" by allowing order 78 of the House to be suspended as seconded by Hon. Nikky Ugochukwu of Orumba south Hon. Emeka Idu of Onitsha South Constituency moved a motion for adoption of the committee report as seconded by Hon. Nnamdi Ezike of Nnewi South constituency and was adopted by the House. The opposition rose against that as they shouted stopping the speaker. They argued that the document was withheld for three months and wanted to be rushed without the members having opportunity of going through, pleading that they be given two days to do that.

He said that his committee looked into the expenditure of N39 billion and the intended revenue both from federal allocation and state internal generated revenue and urged everybody to look at it dispassionately. He later presented the budget as recommended by the committee and seconded by Hon. Gabriel Onyenwife .

As tension rose in the House, the executive committee of the PDP in the state led by Mr. Bright Nnebedum yesterday in a press conference endorsed the efforts of its members led by the Speaker Hon Nnebe in carrying out its oversight functions and implored them to continue to ensure that they achieve value for whatever expenditure the tax payers money is used for .

Hon Uzo Uyammadu representing Awka-South and Hon. Uche Ogbonna of Orumba North , Hon.Uche Umeri of Dunkofia , Hon.Paulinus Obichukwu , Hon. Ozama Okpalaeke of Ihiala constituency among others were stoutly against the second reading until they must have gone through the report as permitted by Section 103 of the constitution and order 78 section 3 of the House rule. They said what happened yesterday was an act of illegality accusing the House committee of arrogating powers to themselves . They maintained that there was no motive behind what they were doing even as they pleaded with Anambrarians to know that the problem was not from Mr Speaker, but the committee members who are holding the state at ransom.

It took the intervention of the Deputy Speaker, to Hon. Afam Obi representing Ekwusigo for the Speaker step down proceedings for 30 minutes and eventually adjourned.

The Speaker continued to beg that there was no reason for the rowdy session but could not help matters and when he ordered that security men should do their work , opposition said that he has ordered for their arrest and started calling police authorities alleging that they have been molested.

During the rowdy session, twice as the member representing Dunukofia constituency in the House Hon. Uchenna Umeri and the sergeant at arms struggled over the mace. Hon. Umeri wanted to snatch the mace so that proceedings will stop but was stopped by the sergeant at arms before out of annoyance he went and turned down all the tables sacking the Clerk of the House and his staff.

Again when the proponents of budget slashing and delay were bent on passing the budget, leader of the opposition, Hon. Paulinus Obichukwu representing Oyi constituency snatched the microphone from the chief whip, Hon. Onyenwife. The opposition did not spare Njideka Ezeigwe as they accused her of spoiling PDP’s name by her conduct as the majority leader.

According to Hon. Ikenna Mbazuluike Amaechi the appropriation committee chairman,"This report is an executive summary and it has the budget as proposed by the state at N84. 2 billion. We took several factors into consideration, we looked at the budget size for last year, we looked at the actual revenue that the state recovered last year which was in the neighbourhood of N30 billion. We looked at the actual expenditure of this state last year which was N39 billion and these figures I must say we did not pluck out of the trees.

‘’ These are figures that we got on proper request with the relevant government agencies and we have also worked at the intended revenue or in flow for the 2008 fiscal year for this state. We have looked at the revenue from IGR, revenue from Federal Allocation and we have looked at the anticipated revenue from the Paris club and excess crude, VAT and other sources as well as the anticipated loans and external loans"

Meanwhile , the House has succumbed to the wishes of the 11 lawmakers in opposition as they have adjourned till Monday next week for further deliberations on the Appropriation bill after 30 minutes recess from 5:30 pm till 6 pm to cool off tension created by the near anarchy that took over the House to the extent that the Speaker called in the security men to do their work.

Reacting to the rowdy session in the House yesterday, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media , Mr. Valentine Obienyem said, the governor had done his part in presenting the budget for the common good of the people detailing how he was going to source money for the budget saying we believe he has interest of the state at heart and to the Anambra House members should see the budget as a document to transform Anambra and not for the selfish interest of the governor . We do not really envisage cutting of the budget since it is mere estimate which nobody is asking the House to source fund for its servicing ‘’.