The Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ali Ahmad said the uncertainty accompanying the lack of President Muhammadu Buhari to assent the 2016 budget would continue to have enormous negative effect on the nation’s comatose economy.
He added that the president’s inability to sign the budget into law is not good for the country with every day passes by as it would continue to have adverse effect on the citizens.
The speaker who made this remarks in his address at the floor on Tuesday to welcome members of the State House of Assembly who just returned from Easter break insisted that the brouhaha being generated is unnecessary.
Ahmad who represented Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency at the 7th Assembly described the situation as unfortunate and wondered why President Buhari has refused to comment on the issue but rather chose to travel out of the country.
He noted that the president owe it as a duty to Nigerians to come out openly on the budget saga and explain what actually happened, lamenting that it was only the ministers that were contriving reasons why it had to be delayed.
The speaker warned that delaying the budget signing would not do the country any good, noting that if the president feels some cost have been reduced as claimed, he has the power to return to the National Assembly later in the year with supplementary budget.
Therefore, Ahmad said there is no point fighting or causing unnecessary tension on the issue especially when the constitution has covered the contrived reasons, adding that not signing the budget on time amount to delaying of Nigerians sufferings.
Similarly, the speaker described as unfortunate the “judgement” of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) regarding Kogi Assembly crisis directing the police to vacate the assembly against the National Assembly directive.
He stated that the AGF lack the judicial power to fault the National Assembly’s directive, stressing that only the court of law could revert what has been done by the National Assembly on the issue.
Ahmad who further described the situation in the Kogi Assembly as embarrassing for the nation lamented that unfortunately the ruling party has refused to intervene in the matter with a view to curb the lingering crisis once and for all.
As members of the states House of Assembly, the speaker enjoined other lawmakers in the country to rise and speak against the injustice being perpetrated at the Kogi State House of Assembly.
Adebayo Abdullahi
KWHA, Ilorin
Kwara State.
Twitter : @adebayokwha
Fb : Ab.adebayo
KWHA, Ilorin
Kwara State.
Twitter : @adebayokwha
Fb : Ab.adebayo
It’s been God and it’s been good.