The Deputy Majority Leader in the Senate, Alh. Bala Ibn Na’allah, on Wednesday, said that the National Assembly NASS was unperturbed by President Muhammadu Buhari’s concerns about the adjustments it made in the 2018 Appropriation Bill.
Na’allah was reacting to the Buhari’s criticisms during his budget signing speech on the reduction of ‘N’ from the proposal sent to NASS and increasing it by ‘N’ for some projects which he said might be difficult to execute.
He said that the job of the parliamentarians was a very difficult one, adding that the way the budget came warranted that the National Assembly carried out some adjustments.
According to the Senator, the most important issue is that the supplementary budget does not last long in approval since it is will be a build-up based on what has been done by the national assembly on the main appropriation.
On the seven months delay for the approval of the budget, he said the president was right in his concern but recalled that the President himself had to order the MDAs to appear before the National Assembly to defend their allocations.
It is a very delicate issue; if someone says he wants N500 billion for the maintenance of the nation’s bridges and then you expect the National Assembly to say that budget is approved because it is coming from the executive then we have not done our work.
We will be interested in knowing which roads you say you want to maintain so that we do not give another allocation in the next budget.
The President’s observations are correct but in the budgeting process those things are normal,’’ Na’allah stated.
He, however, said that Nigerians should be happy that the country had a budget to run for 2018 and it had been signed.
He also noted that the President had made it clear that it would be a buildup on the achievements of the administration in impacting positively in the lives of Nigerians.
Also speaking, Rep. Alhassan Doguwa, the Majority Whip, said that some of the concerns raised by the President were critical, but added that he was at liberty to raise such concerns.
He said that having been signed into law the NASS would expect the Executive to implement it.
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The Rep noted that a lot of legislators in both chambers had great respect for Buhari and cherish his moral integrity as a leader.
Doguwa stated that those in the APC and others in the opposition were aware of the enormous responsibilities on the President’s shoulders.
He added that this was the time to cooperate with him to give him what he desired as the leader of the government to deliver on people’s expectations.
On the late signing of the budget, Doguwa said it was not caused by the NASS as its duty was not to sign but only to consider and pass it.
Source: Nigerian Tribune
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