Dogara: 90% of Constituency Projects Implemented in 2016 Budget

• Umahi, Akeredolu speak on executive, legislature relationship

Paul Obi in Abuja

Notwithstanding the controversy that trailed the 2016 budget, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, wednesday said over 90 per cent of the constituency projects in the controversial 2016 budget have been implemented by the federal government.

Dogara stated this at a one-day seminar with the theme: ‘Executive – Legislative Relations: Gaps, Challenges and Prospects,’ organised by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), an arm of the Department of State Services (DSS) for participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 10 in Abuja wednesday.

Represented by the Chief Whip, House of Representatives, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Dogara, in a paper titled: ‘Executive – Legislative Relations and Good Governance, Challenges and Prospects’ contended that “the rancour between the executive and the legislative arms of government was to strengthen democracy” adding that “it was the media that is overblowing the issue to make it look as if the executive and the legislative arms of government were fighting.
“I think one major solution that will improve our relationship between the executive and the legislative arm of government is the proper and effective utilisation of the infrastructure of the instrumentality of lobbying.

“When you have an institution like the National Assembly and the only thing you can do is the instrument of lobby and is always allowed.

“It is an institutional instrument and the government of the day have effectively make use of the instrument of lobbying to the signing of the 2017 budget.

“Even the controversial 2016 budget where the issue of constituency projects was raised, I want to say that over 90 percent of the projects have been successfully implemented by the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari,” the speaker stated.

Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, in his presentation titled: ‘Managing Conflicts in Executive-Legislative Relations.’ added that “the states were the only federating units that have the power to determine the number of local governments it wants to create.

“National Assembly should think thoroughly before seeking for autonomy in the ongoing constitution amendment” Akeredolu stressed.

He added that conflicts is an integral part of any democratic principles and their is bound to be disagreement for meaningful deliberations to take place.
“States is the only federating units that have the power to determine how its local government should be run,” he said.

Also, Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, observed that the federal government “should always save for rainy days whenever budgets was going to be presented and implemented,” stating that, “Nigerians must also change their attitude in moving the country forward.”