Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, says it is “regrettable” that the Senate Committee Chairman on Appropriation, Sen. Danjuma Goje trivialised the issues he raised about the unilateral slashing of the budgetary allocation for key national infrastructure by the National Assembly.
Fashola said on Thursday in a statement sent in from Zimbabwe where he is currently attending the 35th Annual General Meeting of the Shelter Afrique that he was responding only for the purpose of refocusing attention to the issues at stake.
“A good budget remains a necessary tool for the Executive arm to do its work because when services are inadequate, the members of the public often look to the Executive arm for answers.
““I need a better budget as a tool to do my work and that is why l am speaking out,” he said in the statement by Mr Hakeem Bello, Special Adviser on Communications emailed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Fashola, a senior advocate and former Lagos State Governor, however, called for a more developmental budgeting approach.
“In this context, it is left for Nigerians to then decide whether budgeting for constituency roads is more patriotic than budgeting to complete the Kano-Maiduguri Road that connects five states, the Lagos-Ibadan road that connects three states and helps to move food, imported goods and fuel across the country.
“Or the 2nd Niger Bridge that connects the East and West geopolitical zones of at least 11 states,” the minister said.
“I will also leave Nigerians to judge whether it is more patriotic to budget for the Mambilla Power Project that will contribute to more power across Nigeria or reduce the budget to build street lights in legislative constituencies.”
The minister noted that the response to the issues he raised certainly should not have been accusations of his blackmailing the legislature or referring to those who shared his views as his “surrogates”.
Reiterating his respect for the parliament where very vigorous debates about development should take place, Fashola advised Sen. Goje, a former Gombe Governor, to acquire the temperament for such debate and disagreements.
He said:“Let me reiterate that I see parliament as a house where very vigorous debates about development should take place and it is important for Goje to acquire the temperament of debate and disagreements.” (NAN)
PR/DA