Ex Kwara lawmakers commend Buhari for signing the 2018 Budget, cautions him against unsavoury statements

Ex Kwara lawmakers commend Buhari for signing the 2018 Budget, cautions him against unsavoury statements

The Forum of former Members of the Kwara State House of Assembly under the aegis of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the 2018 Appropriation Bill into Act, describing it as a step in moving the nation forward.

The former lawmakers said with the assent of the President, the nation's economy is expected to receive a boost and bring succour to millions of Nigerians who have been incapacitated due to delay in signing the 2018 Budget.

In a statement jointly signed by the Forum's Chairman and Secretary, Hon. Layi Ayinde and Hon. Isiaka Mogaji respectively in Abuja, the group appaulded the President for his renewed determination to continue to work with the National Assembly towards improving the budgeting process and restoring the Country to the January-December fiscal cycle.

The statement added that, with such gesture there is renewed hope and determination, that is better for the  Country and the nation's democracy.

The former lawmakers however cautioned the President from making unsavoury statements against the National Assembly, noting that, the statement by the president that the NASS had altered the 2018 figure, to say the least, undermines the principle of separation of power, especially in a democratic setting like Nigeria. 

"The legislators as an assemblage of the representatives of the people elected under a legal framework, are to make laws for the good health of the society, controls though through legislation all economic, social and political activities of the nation, scrutinises the policies of the Executive and provides the framework for the Judiciary to operate". the statement added.

In Section 4(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) states: ''The National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the federation with respect to any matter included in the Exclusive Legislative List".

Therefore, the NASS has the legislative power to either alter, amend, add,  subtract or even modify,  as the case maybe,  the Appropriation Bill so presented before the NASS.

Without prejudice to the provision of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, which seeks to return budget circle to January-December, the President still needs to ensure that public officers under his watch,  particularly MDAs, have high respect for the first arm of government so as to establish free flow of information and ideas amongst the three arms of government.

The Forum added that in order to prevent what appears to be lack of synergy between the Executive and Legislative Arms of Government on budget matters, there should be pre-budget presentation meetings between the various Committees of the Legislature and the MDAs to  iron out the issue of the Constituency projects of members of the National Assembly as appropriate, before the budget proposal of the Executive is finally presented to the Legislature for passage.

This, in effect, would prevent or cure the unfortunate misunderstanding on budget matters that seems to have become stock in trade between the Executive and Legislative Arms of Government in recent times and consequently bringforth sanity into our budgeting process in Nigeria.

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