Buhari Urges NASS To Consider And Pass Statutory Budgets

 

President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria is asking the National Assembly to consider and pass the statutory budgets of the Federal Capital Territory and the Niger Delta Development Commission before June 13.

          

He said that the passage of the budgets would enable them to execute their statutory mandate.
The President made the appeal at a Democracy Day Dinner in honour of the Federal lawmakers and held at the Presidential Villa on Monday.

“I am conscious that on June 9, 2016, the National Assembly will complete one legislative year.
“May I appeal to you to consider and pass these submitted bills particularly the statutory budget of the Federal Capital Territory and the Niger Delta Development Commission’s budget.
“These bodies cannot execute their statutory mandate nor incur expenditure unless their budgets are approved by the National Assembly,” he told the gathering.
“No Mean Feat”

 

                                               Bukola Saraki, President of the Nigerian Senate

 

President Buhari also reiterated the commitment of his administration to observing the Principles of Separation of Power, promising that the Executive Arm of Government, under his watch, will not interfere with the functions of the Legislature nor the Judiciary.
“I hereby reiterate the commitment of this administration to observing the Principles of Separation of Power which defines and delegates the functions and powers of each of the Arms of Government.
“Thurs far, we at the executive has restricted ourselves to our constitutional roles.
“Therefore, I as President and we, as Executive Arm of Government, will not interfere with the functions, functioning and process of the legislature, nor the judiciary,” he reassured the lawmakers.

The leader of the National Assembly and the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, in his speech, congratulated Nigerians for undergoing 17 years of uninterrupted democracy, describing it as a no mean feat.
“It is not easy for a country to go through 17 years of uninterrupted democracy and also to be able, through electoral process, decide in changing one government to another.
“Our democracy is no longer at puberty, but our democracy has matured,” he stated.