Speaker Dogara makes major revelations on 2016 budget
– National Assembly speaker Yakubu Dogara has spoken out about the APC
– He has insisted his body will oppose the current administration by vetoing the 2016 budget
– The speaker also said the National Assembly has the sole right to pass the budget, with executive input
The National Assembly will not project itself as an opposition to the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration by overriding a veto on the 2016 budget, Speaker said Yakubu Dogara said yesterday.
Dogara also questioned constitutional stipulations reserving the preparation of the budget with the executive arm of government.
He made his comments while he received a delegation of APC elders and stakeholders from Kwande/Oshongo federal constituency of Benue state in the National Assembly.
Dogara said no matter the level of provocation from some persons, the executive and the parliament will not have any fight over their differences arising from the 2016 budget as passed by the National Assembly.
Speaker, Yakubu Dogara was speaking in his home state of Benue
He said the National Assembly and the Executive would likely resolve issues surrounding the 2016 budget this week.
“We know that as leaders, our responsibility is not to fight. It is one government and this government will take the active collaboration of the judiciary, legislature and the executive to be able to deliver on the mandate,” Dogara said.
“We cannot form an opposition within the same government. The executive cannot constitute itself into an opposition within the system in the same government, neither can the parliament, even though it is a bipartisan one.”
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“As we speak to you, I know that the executive has sent their observations on the budget, areas they termed “grey areas”. We have taken delivery of that document, we are looking into it and in collaboration with the senate, the entire National Assembly, we have arrived at a decision which I will not announce here because that one is for the ears of the President only.
“It is in the overall national interest, we know that we have to find a solution and sooner than later, within this week, I believe that as leaders, having put on our thinking caps, we should be able to come up with a solution that will address this problem.”
The Speaker, according to a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, said the National Assembly was well within its powers to make amendments to the budget before passing it because the role of the executive stopped at providing estimates to the legislature which prepares it into an appropriation law.
Discontent of the delayed 2016 budget is growing
Dogara said that while the parliament is responsible for preparing the budget, the executive branch of power has a responsibility to prepare revenues and projections.
“Then, the parliament, in exercise of its duties, will make appropriation in a document called budget. Budget is always a law, it is not a policy statement and there is no government arm, no institution of government that can make laws except the National Assembly.
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“And we have exercised that constitutional right and privilege which is exclusively reserved for the National Assembly using the document that is before the president. And as we all know, a law requires the assent of the president, that is one of the instrumentalities of checks and balances that democracy guarantees.
Dogara went on to express his condolence to the government and people of Benue state over the “very sad and incessant incursion” into some of their communities, especially Agatu, while adding that though it has been subject of many motions on the floor of the House, he was happy to note that the government had started doing something about that.
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