The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola
(SAN), has criticised the Chairman of the Senate Committee on
Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje, for his comments concerning
complaints the minister made about the input of the National
Assembly in his ministry’s budget.
Fashola and the lawmakers have traded accusations since late
June when he accused the National Assembly of unilaterally slashing
budgetary allocation for key projects such as the Lagos-Ibadan
Expressway and the 2nd Niger Bridge.
Although the National Assembly had issued a statement describing
the minister’s complaints as an attempt to blackmail the
legislature, its members have continued to react to the issue and
other disagreements with the executive.
During the Senate’s plenary on Wednesday, one day after the
House of Representatives summoned the minister to defend his
comments, Goje described the lawmakers as patriotic Nigerians and
urged Fashola to behave like a minister or resign if he felt
overwhelmed by his responsibilities.
The minister, however, fired back on Thursday in a statement by
his Special Adviser on Communications, Mr Hakeem Bello.
According to Fashola, Senator Goje’s reference to the patriotism
of legislators should not be spoken but demonstrated with regard to
his calls for a more developmental budgeting approach.
Dajuma Goje
“In this context, it is left for Nigerians to then decide
whether budgeting for constituency roads is more patriotic than
budgeting to complete the Kano-Maiduguri Road that connects five
states, the Lagos-Ibadan road that connects three states and helps
to move food, imported goods and fuel across the country; or the
2nd Niger Bridge that connects the East and West geopolitical zones
of at least 11 states together,” he said.
“I will also leave Nigerians to judge whether it is more
patriotic to budget for the Mambilla Power Project that will
contribute to more power across Nigeria or reduce the budget to
build street lights in legislative constituencies.”
He added that he expected the lawmakers to respond to the issues
he raised rather than accuse him of blackmailing the
legislature.
“Let me reiterate that I see parliament as a house where very
vigorous debates about development should take place and it is
important for Goje to acquire the temperament of debate and
disagreement,” he said.
On the Senator’s comments about his behaviour, he said, “I think
first that the language is unparliamentary and therefore not
deserving of a reply.”
Noting that Goje, a former governor of Gombe State, and some
other lawmakers transited from the executive arm of government to
the legislative arm, Fashola said, “It seems that it is such people
who need a behavioural prescription about legislative
function.”
He explained that his comments about the budget were as a result
of his desire to function effectively.
“I need a better budget as a tool to do my work and that is why
l am speaking out,” he said.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola
(SAN), has criticised the Chairman of the Senate Committee on
Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje, for his comments concerning
complaints the minister made about the input of the National
Assembly in his ministry’s budget.
Fashola and the lawmakers have traded accusations since late
June when he accused the National Assembly of unilaterally slashing
budgetary allocation for key projects such as the Lagos-Ibadan
Expressway and the 2nd Niger Bridge.
Although the National Assembly had issued a statement describing
the minister’s complaints as an attempt to blackmail the
legislature, its members have continued to react to the issue and
other disagreements with the executive.
During the Senate’s plenary on Wednesday, one day after the
House of Representatives summoned the minister to defend his
comments, Goje described the lawmakers as patriotic Nigerians and
urged Fashola to behave like a minister or resign if he felt
overwhelmed by his responsibilities.
The minister, however, fired back on Thursday in a statement by
his Special Adviser on Communications, Mr Hakeem Bello.
According to Fashola, Senator Goje’s reference to the patriotism
of legislators should not be spoken but demonstrated with regard to
his calls for a more developmental budgeting approach.
Dajuma Goje
“In this context, it is left for Nigerians to then decide
whether budgeting for constituency roads is more patriotic than
budgeting to complete the Kano-Maiduguri Road that connects five
states, the Lagos-Ibadan road that connects three states and helps
to move food, imported goods and fuel across the country; or the
2nd Niger Bridge that connects the East and West geopolitical zones
of at least 11 states together,” he said.
“I will also leave Nigerians to judge whether it is more
patriotic to budget for the Mambilla Power Project that will
contribute to more power across Nigeria or reduce the budget to
build street lights in legislative constituencies.”
He added that he expected the lawmakers to respond to the issues
he raised rather than accuse him of blackmailing the
legislature.
“Let me reiterate that I see parliament as a house where very
vigorous debates about development should take place and it is
important for Goje to acquire the temperament of debate and
disagreement,” he said.
On the Senator’s comments about his behaviour, he said, “I think
first that the language is unparliamentary and therefore not
deserving of a reply.”
Noting that Goje, a former governor of Gombe State, and some
other lawmakers transited from the executive arm of government to
the legislative arm, Fashola said, “It seems that it is such people
who need a behavioural prescription about legislative
function.”
He explained that his comments about the budget were as a result
of his desire to function effectively.
“I need a better budget as a tool to do my work and that is why
l am speaking out,” he said.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/budget-fashola-criticises-goje-says-issues-raised-shouldnt-be-trivialized/