BY EDMOND ODOK, ABUJA – Newly inaugurated President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan says the days of worrying budget delays in the National Assembly (NASS) will soon be over for good.
This is as he assured that work on the nation’s Appropriation Bill will henceforth be concluded by the lawmakers within three months of its submission by the Executive.
Senator Lawan told State House correspondents, after performing the Friday’s Juma’at prayer with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Villa Mosque, Abuja that time would be of essence for the ninth National Assembly in its lawmaking mandate delivery.
The Senate President said it is also imperative for the executive to always ensure early submission of the budget estimates to enable the lawmakers deliberate and ensure its passage without the obvious delays witnessed during the past years.
Insisting that the ninth Assembly is fully determined to avoid all the pitfalls of the past Assembly, Senator Lawan said; “Well, this is a crucial thing that worries everyone, every Nigerian wants to see the National Assembly passes the budget in good time and what we have in mind we’ve campaigned with that and it’s something both of us in the National Assembly have bought into – that we’ll pass the budget within three months by the grace of God.”
The Senate President stated that though the Assembly is fully focused on addressing the inherent mistakes of the past, it would take conscious efforts from both the executive and legislative arms of government to pass the budget in good time for effective implementation.
According to him; “I am sure that the executive side of the government would like to present the budget before the National Assembly in good time – in September or early October.
“By the grace of God, we in the National Assembly will ensure that we carry out the budget defence and do the remaining parts of the processes and before we leave for Christmas break, the budget would have been passed and Mr President would have the budget before him to assent.”
He however stated that such landmark achievement would only be possible with sacrifice being made by both the executive and legislative arms of government.
For him, both arms must work and collaborate in creating a window for budget defence through dedicated period and timeframe of about one month whereby only budget defence would be handled by both chambers of the National Assembly.
“It is our desire in the National Assembly that every minister, every chief executive officer of every agency comes to the National Assembly and defence the budget of his agency or her agency before going out of the country.”
He explained that Ministers or Heads of agencies that fail to defend their budgets within such a window, would leave the National Assembly with no choice but to work on such budgets as it deems appropriate
The Senate President stated that having hit the ground running, the lawmakers were in a hurry and eager to deliver on their mandate as well as effectively support the President’s efforts at transforming the country’s economy for the overall good and welfare of all Nigerians.
“We are in a hurry; we are thirsty to perform; we want to support Mr President; we want to see Mr President achieve those legacy dreams that he has; and we are going to work full course and full time to ensure that we give him the maximum support that he requires”, Senate Lawan assured
He however solicited the support of all Nigerians in the task of moving Nigeria on the path of sustainable socio-economic growth and development, adding that the lawmakers are not interested in time wasting and is therefore out to ensure the Buhari administration delivers to Nigerians the much-desired dividend of democracy.
