A National vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the party will approach the courts for a clear interpretation of the role of the National Assembly in the passing of the nation’s b.

Prince Hilliard Eta, the party’s vice chairman, South-South said the lawmakers overstepped their bounds by unnecessarily tinkering with the budget when its constitutional duty is mainly supervisory.

He disappointment in the Chairman of the Senate Appropriation Committee, Sen. Danjuma Goje and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin for directly supervising even actively abetting the distortion of the budget.

“The arbitrary removal of the Lagos – Calabar rail track by the National Assembly from the 2016 budget is a display of depraved indifference to the welfare of Nigerians. The deletion is not just arbitrary; it is a big disservice to the people of Nigeria, particularly the South South zone which the proposed railway track would have traversed.

“Also, the total rehabilitation of the collapsed and terrible Calabar – Odukpani –Itu – Ikot Ekpene federal highway which was allotted six billion naira by the federal government in the budget was doctored and almost five billion naira removed and reallocated to a non-existent project in the constituency of the Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin, in Kano state.

“By these two acts, the Senate and House of Representatives displayed the astonishing contempt in which they hold Nigerians. The National Assembly exists to ensure that Nigerians get the best from their government using the instrument of purposeful legislation but the 8th Assembly by this budget padding debacle has not only brought itself to ridicule, it has also proved itself unworthy of the trust and confidence of Nigerians.

Prince Eta demanded that the budget be reverted, threatening a court action if not done.

“We shall approach the courts of the land for a clear interpretation of the role of the National Assembly in the passing of the National Budget as it is evident that it overstepped its bounds by unnecessarily tinkering with the budget when its constitutional duty is mainly supervisory.”