Deputy CoP Njolomole certifies Bills on behalf of Katopola
Malawi’s Deputy Clerk of Parliament Henry Njolomole has come to the rescue of government and certify the Bills passed during the budget meeting of Parliament which his boss Matilda Katopola currently on forced leave refused to sign for.
Nyasa Times understands that that the Bills which include the K408 billion (about $1.6 billion) Appropriation (Budget) Bill, were signed Monday following discussions within the Malawi National
Assembly management which persuaded Njolomole to sign the Bill after he initially refused to do so.
Njolomole’s argument was that signing the Bills without the consent of Katopola would be immoral and insubordination to his boss.
The Bills has since been sent for printing ready to be presented to President Joyce Banda for assenting and gazetting.
According to a source close to the management meeting, Njolomole is said to have told his colleagues that he symphasizes with Katopola because he knows the kind of situations she is in and would be inhumane to certify those bills on her behalf.
Although the parliamentary standing orders and procedures give powers to the Deputy Clerk to sign the Bills on behalf of the COP, Katopola’s initial refusal created panic amongst the authorities as the
implementation of the budget was supposed to start on July 1.
Certified
First Deputy Speaker Jones Chingola confirmed that the Bills have been signed and that the documents have already gone for printing and will be presented to President Banda by this coming Friday.
“Njolomole has certified the bills,” said Chingola.
The Malawi constitution stipulates that money from the consolidated Government Account Number One can only be drawn after the Appropriation (Budget) Bill has gone through Parliament and thereafter assented by the President before being gazetted.
Last Tuesday, government arrested Katopola and charged her with abuse of office after she is said to have awarded herself a contract through her company, Monik Trends.
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