Delay in ministerial list won’t affect return to January-December budget cycle– Lawan

As the National Assembly awaits President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, has said the delay in the submission of the list will not affect the proposed January-December budget cycle, beginning from the 2020 budget.

Lawan who was in a closed door meeting on Wednesday with President Buhari and House of Reps Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, made this comment while speaking with state house correspondents after the meeting.

According to him, returning the national budget’s fiscal cycle to January to December is still achievable if the proposal gets to the National Assembly by September.

“I think there is nothing to worry us deeply. The budget itself is normally prepared by civil servants, the permanent secretaries superintend and the directors will work most of the time,” he said.

“I believe that we are still on course and I believe both the executive and the legislature are on the same page on this, we are desire and are prepared and determined to pass the budget by the first and second week December by the grace of God, provided it is presented to us end of September.” he said.

Asked whether they discussed their security summit proposal with the president, he said “No, we haven’t discussed that. But you know that at the end of the day we are going to have a security summit that will be a collaboration between the two arms of government.

READ ALSO: Buhari meets with Lawan, Gbajabiamila as Nigerians await his ministerial list

“And this is essential because while we provide the legislative intervention that is required, the executive arm of government is the one that implements. So we have to work together and we will do that.”

Assuring that the National Assembly was determined to have a friction-free relationship with the executive, he said that nominees from the president would be confirmed without delay beginning with the confirmation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Muhammed Tanko.

Gbajabiamila, who also spoke with correspondents, said the crisis in the Edo State House of Assembly would soon be resolved, having received the report of the committee that investigated the matter.

He said the House of Representatives will not hesitate to invoke the provisions of Section 11 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) towards taking over the legislative duties in Edo State House of Assembly if the crisis is not amicably resolved.

His words: “As you know, we set an adhoc committee. They went to Edo State; the report was laid and considered today and the context of the report is very clear. I think what we did was to stick strictly by the rule or by the law that guides the assembly and us as lawmakers.

“So one of the recommendations which I believed was approved by the House was for us to have a proper proclamation with date, venue and time which was missing in the first proclamation. They (Edo House of Assembly) have about a week to come up with the proper election of the principal officers.

“If in a week nothing changes, perhaps the House and the National Assembly as a whole would look at invoking section 11 of the constitution.”

Asked what the House will do if the governor disagrees with the House, Gbajabiamila said, “if every party, every player was consulted, all sides were heard, I don’t think we should go down that route and say if the governor decides.

“That’s not a decision for anybody to make. The governor is somebody I know and I believe he will operate within the confines of the law and dictates of the law and National Assembly and all other laws. So I don’t think we should pre-empt the governor.”

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