The Senate majority leader, Senator Ahmed Lawal has assured the nation that the 2017 appropriation bill before the Senate will be ready for the Presidential assent next week.
He said that the bill would have been passed on April 25, but for the incidence that happened whereby police raided the residence of the chairman of the appropriation committee, Senator Danjuma Goje, carting away parts of the documents relating to the budget.
Senator Lawal, who spoke to newsmen today after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said: “let me say that there is nothing to worry about. The National Assembly had intended to pass the budget in March but because of some parameters that we didn’t have control over, we couldn’t pass it. It was our design and desire to pass it within this month, April, but somehow, something happened.
“One of our colleagues, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Distinguished Senator Danjuma Goje’s house was raided by the police after a whistleblower gave information and when parts of those documents were taken away, it was reported that parts of the budget papers were included.
“This and other things that happened and essentially, the trauma that the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation had to go through, affected the process of budgeting.
“When we were going on Easter recess, members of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, including that of the House, did not go on recess. They stayed back because that was the arrangement, so that by the time we returned on April 25, that was Tuesday, they should lay the report of the budget.
“Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible because of what happened. But the good news is that we are doing everything possible to ensure that we catch up with the lost time.
“So, by the grace of God, I’m thinking that by next week, we should be able to finish our own work and pass the budget for Mr. President to sign.”
The Senate leader said also that screening of the two ministerial nominees, from Kogi and Gombe states, will begin next week
“Certainly not this week because this is the last legislative day of the week but l have the feeling that the Senate may be looking at that and indeed others, by next week In Sha Allah.”
Senator Lawal wanted lobbying to form the nation’s democratic culture, adding that lobbying is being fully practiced by lawmakers, especially to get private bills and motion through.
“ In a democracy like ours, presidential system of government, when we talk of lobby, lobby is such an extensive work in the sense that it is not what you narrowly define it to be. In Nigeria, most often, when we say lobby, people narrow it and limit it to be giving somebody money to buy his conscience to do something for you.
“But in the United States of America, after which we have decided to design and shape our democracy here, it’s to talk and engage continuously; talk with some people who have some mandates and some jurisdictions on some issues and therefore, what l meant is that there should be continuous engagements; continuous and sustained interactions between the President and the legislature, especially at the level we are.
“And l know clearly that there is independence of each arm but l also know equally well that there is so much inter-dependence between the two arms and even among the three arms of government in Nigeria. Therefore, we need to always close and narrow the gap and that is what l mean.” [myad]
