The senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Sen. Dino Melaye, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari smearing the National Assembly with his accusation of budget padding against it.
In a Thursday statement in Abuja, Melaye, said that the president was “trying to whip sentiments” against the National Assembly with his accusations against the body after signing into law the 2018 Appropriation Bill.
He said no law required the National Assembly to simply rubber-stamp any bill brought by the presidency, and so the National Assembly merely did its job of reviewing the 2018 budget.
Melaye, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, added that the president reserved the right to return the unsigned budget to the National Assembly if he had any misgivings with it.
Melaye said, “I notice that President Muhammadu Buhari is trying to whip up sentiments against the National Assembly again by alleging that the 2018 budget was padded.
“What the President is authorised to do constitutionally is to present the National Assembly with a bill. A bill is a work in progress and not the finished work.
“The National Assembly is not just expected to rubber stamp whatever bill the President presents. If this was the norm, then there would have been no need for the Constitution to direct that the Bill be submitted to the National Assembly in the first place.
“Mr. President should, therefore, refrain from playing to the gallery and milking the naivety of the masses on the issue.
“In any event, he reserves the prerogative of refusing to append his signature to the bill passed if it meets with his displeasure. He is also free to return the bill to the NASS unsigned with a note indicating his areas of disaffection.
“Therefore, Mr. President should halt his chicanery and smear campaign of the National Assembly.
“I also ask, in the last three years of this administration: What has been the percentage of implementation of capital budget?
“The powers and authority of the National Assembly cannot be eroded by the presidency.The National Assembly is not a department of the Presidency.”