The Presidency has denied reports suggesting that the executive and legislative arm of government might be at loggerheads following a purported disagreement that happened at the State House during the signing of the 2022 Budget and Finance Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Emerging reports had suggested that the insertion in the 2022 Appropriation Act, of 6,576 new schemes worth about N37 billion by the National Assembly, was causing a rift between the two arms of government.
However, the spokesman for the President, Garba Shehu, in a lengthy statement on said while it is true that Buhari expressed disagreement with the insertions and many of the other alterations, still, the president and the parliament have not fallen out.
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According to him, President Buhari frowned at a couple of things including “reduction in the provisions for many strategic capital projects to introduce ‘Empowerment Projects’,” but, “innumerable lies are being spread about the president being ‘angry’” at the lawmakers and lashing out at the parliament.
Mr Shehu said there is no rift between President Buhari and the National Assembly, adding that both arms of government are working amicably for the good of the nation.
In a statement, the president’s senior special assistant said“The Presidency wishes to clear the air regarding the widely-viewed/reported episode on Friday, December 31st at the State House during the signing of the 2022 Budget and Finance Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari; specifically on the insertion in the 2022 Appropriation Act, of 6,576 new schemes worth about N37 billion by the National Assembly.
“While it is true that the President expressed disagreement with these and many of the other alterations, including the reduction in the provisions for many strategic capital projects to introduce ‘Empowerment Projects’,” innumerable lies are being spread about the President being angry at, had blasted or lashed out at the Parliament. This cannot be farther from the truth.
“As the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmed Lawan said shortly after the budget-signing ceremony, disagreements as the ones listed by the President are normal in the everyday Executive-Parliamentary relationship because, as he explained, “executive and legislative judgements don’t always have to be the same.”
“While we note that there are people who are trying to create a fiasco between the two arms of government on account of the budget, we assure you that they will, in the end, be disappointed. The Executive and the 9th National Assembly have since moved away from the wild, destructive political games of the past, conducting themselves in a way that puts national interest supreme in their decisions.” He said
“The Presidency under Muhammadu Buhari and the parliament under Lawal and Gbajabiamila are committed to a good neighbourly relationship and this or any other disagreement between the two arms of government will not alter the dynamics of that relationship.” He concluded. (Channels)
