Former National Assembly Leaders Meet Buhari Over Budget
- As Nnamani advises Executive, Legislature to collaborate
Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
A former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari, on Monday met behind closed-doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja.
They both told State House correspondents that they discussed the 2016 budget with Buhari.
Masari, who is also the governor of Katsina State, said he signed his state budget only after he had known its details.
The governor said: “You know I am now am executive and I signed the budget for Katsina state and before I did that, I made sure I knew what I was signing for. So, take it as I said.”
On his part, Nnamani called on the executive and the legislature to cooperate with each other and resolve the budget impasse as urgently as possible.
He said: “Well, budget is an area where we practise what we call co-management between the National Assembly and the executive. Both of them co-manage the economy through the budget. It is a peculiar area where both of them will have to cooperate and collaborate for a proper budget to be passed, and once it is passed, it becomes law.
“So, as it stands today, the situation is such that the National Assembly has to do what is called introspection; how did we get to where we are now? The year is running out, and we’re still talking about 2016 budget. Where is the fault from? Wherever it is coming from, both the executive and the legislature must find a quick solution to it. It does nobody good to drag it any longer. Remember it’s an area of co-management, it is not left to the executive alone, it is not left to the National Assembly alone. There has to be collaboration.”
