The Speaker of the National Assembly has questioned constitutional stipulations reserving the preparation of the budget with the executive arm of government.
The Speaker, according to a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, said the National Assembly was well within its powers to make amendments to the budget before passing it because the role of the executive stopped at providing estimates to the legislature which prepares it into an appropriation law.
Meanwhile, Yakubu Doga has revealed, whilst speaking to a delegation of APC elders and stakeholders from Kwande/Oshongo federal constituency of Benue state in the National Assembly, that no matter the level of provocation from some persons, the executive and the parliament will not have any fight misunderstandings in the 2016 budget as passed by the National Assembly.
“We know that as leaders, our responsibility is not to fight. It is one government and this government will take the active collaboration of the judiciary, legislature and the executive to be able to deliver on the mandate,” Dogara said.
“We cannot form an opposition within the same government.
“The executive cannot constitute itself into an opposition within the system in the same government, neither can the parliament, even though it is a bipartisan one.”
“As we speak to you, I know that the executive has sent their observations on the budget, areas they termed “grey areas”. We have taken delivery of that document, we are looking into it and in collaboration with the senate, the entire National Assembly, we have arrived at a decision which I will not announce here because that one is for the ears of the President only.
“It is in the overall national interest, we know that we have to find a solution and sooner than later, within this week, I believe that as leaders, having put on our thinking caps, we should be able to come up with a solution that will address this problem.”