The Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, on Wednesday, said that delay in the submission of the ministerial list by President Muhammadu Buhari for screening won’t affect the National Assembly from giving Appropriation bill expeditious passage.
According to him, returning the national Budget’s fiscal cycle to January to December will be possible if the proposal gets to the National Assembly by September.
He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
He said “I think there is nothing to worry us deeply. The budget itself is normally prepared by civil servants, the permanent secretaries superintend and the directors will work most of the time.
“I believe that we are still on course and I believe both the executive and the legislature are on the same page on this, we are desire and are prepared and determined to pass the budget by the first and second week December by the grace of God, provided it is presented to us end of September.” he said.
Asked his discussions with the President, Lawan said that they discussed those things that would “ensure that the people of Nigeria are better protected, the economy of Nigeria performs better to the inclusion of everyone in the country.”
Governance, he said, generally is set to achieve the set targets of providing security and welfare for Nigerians.
He said that the National Assembly would collaborate and cooperate with the executive arm of government to uncover better approaches, improved paradigm in order to improve the current situations in the country.
Asked whether they discussed their security summit proposal with the President, he said “No, we haven’t discussed that. But you know that at the end of the day we are going to have a security summit that will be a collaboration between the two arms of government.
“And this is essential because while we provide the legislative intervention that is required, the executive arm of government is the one that implements. So we have to work together and we will do that.” he stated.
Assuring that the National Assembly was determined to have a friction-free relationship with the executive, he said, that nominees from the President would be confirmed without delay beginning with the confirmation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Muhammed Tanko.
Gbajabiamila also hinted that the House of Representatives will not hesitate to invoke the provisions of Section 11 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) towards taking over the legislative duties in Edo State House of Assembly if the crisis is not amicable resolved
.When asked what the House was doing in the crisis rocking the Edo state Assembly, Gbajabiamila said “As you know, we set an adhoc committee. They went to Edo State; the report was laid and considered today and the context of the report is very clear. I think what we did was to stick strictly by the rule or by the law that guides the assembly and us as lawmakers.
“So one of the recommendations which I believed was approved by the House was for us to have a proper proclamation with date, venue and time which was missing in the first proclamation. They (Edo House of Assembly) have about a week to come up with the proper election of the principal officers.
“If in a week nothing changes, perhaps the House and the National Assembly as a whole would look at invoking section 11 of the constitution.” he added
Asked what the House will do if the governor disagrees with the House, Gbajabiamila said, “if every party, every player was consulted, all sides were heard, I don’t think we should go down that route and say if the governor decides.
“That’s not a decision for anybody to make. The governor is somebody I know and I believe he will operate within the confines of the law and dictates of the law and National Assembly and all other laws. So I don’t think we should pre-empt the governor.”
On Bauchi Assembly crisis, he said “we are waiting, but I believe they concluded today. The members who went to Bauchi would be back or are on their way back to Abuja and I will wait until I get the report.”
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