About two weeks after the Lagos State House of Assembly passed
the 2019 budget, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has yet to receive it,
Saturday PUNCH reports.
Our correspondent gathered that the Assembly might be awaiting
May 29 when the governor-elect, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, would be sworn
into office.
A source told our correspondent that government projects had
been stalled due to the impasse.
He accused the lawmakers of playing politics with the
development of the state.
He said, “They just refused to pass it to the governor because
they want to play politics with the budget. Most of the people in
the Assembly are loyal to one man and he appears to be dictating to
them.
“But what more do they want to do to Ambode? They have
humiliated him, denied him his return ticket, and even threatened
to impeach him. What has he done to deserve all that?
“What they failed to realise is that this is beyond Ambode. It
is about Lagos State. It is about governance. Since they took this
decision not to pass the budget to him, things have been at a
standstill. No development; nothing. This is wrong at all levels
because people’s lives are being held.”
However, another government source said while the Assembly might
have certain reasons for not passing the bill to the governor, the
law permits Ambode to spend a certain percentage of the previous
year budget.
She said, “It is true that the budget has not been transmitted
to the governor. But their reason is immaterial. Whatever they like
they can do. The law allows the governor to spend a certain amount
of last year’s budget pending the time the new budget would be
ready. The governor will do his best within the time
available.”
Controversies have trailed the budget since 2018 when the
governor was accused of breaking the tradition of sending the
budget to the Assembly before the fiscal year.
The Ambode administration had said it sent the budget to the
Assembly early, but the lawmakers went on a break and could not sit
over it in December 2018.
Early 2019, the Assembly had issued an impeachment threat to the
governor for allegedly spending from the budget when it had not
been passed.
After protests and public demonstrations, the National Leader of
the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, and some party
stalwarts called the lawmakers and the governor into a meeting,
where the matter was reportedly resolved.
On April 29, the Assembly passed the N873.532bn budget, more
than 80 days after the governor eventually presented it.
Despite the widely-publicised reconciliation, the relationship
of the governor with the Assembly members has not been cordial,
according to reports.
The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kehinde
Bamigbetan, said he could not tell if the budget had been passed to
the governor or not.
He promised to call back after making enquiries.
Bamigbetan had yet to get back to our correspondent as of the
time of filing this report.
The four telephone numbers on the official website of the
Assembly either indicated switched off or not reachable when our
correspondent called them.
The Deputy Speaker, Wasiu Sanni, and member, Adebayo Famakinwa,
did not take their calls or respond to text messages from our
correspondent as of press time.
Subscribe ToNairalaw News!
Read more lagos-assembly-refuses-to-transfer-budget-to-ambode/