Lawan: ministerial appointments’ delay won’t affect 2020 budget passage

Senate President Ahmed Lawan has said the delay by President
Muhammadu Buhari in submitting the ministerial list for screening
will not prevent the National Assembly from giving next year’s
Appropriation Bill expeditious passage.

The Senate President noted that returning the national budget’s
fiscal cycle from January to December would be possible, if the
proposal gets to the National Assembly by September.

Lawan addressed State House correspondents yesterday after a
meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Senate President was accompanied by House of Representatives
Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.

He said: “I think there is nothing to worry us deeply. The
budget itself is normally prepared by civil servants, the permanent
secretaries superintend it and the directors will work on it most
of the time.

“I believe that we are still on course and I believe the
Executive and the Legislature are on the same page on this. We
desire and are prepared and determined to pass the budget by the
first and second week of December, by the grace of God, provided it
is presented to us end of September.”

Asked about his discussions with the President, Lawan said they
spoke about things that would “ensure that the people of Nigeria
are better protected, the economy of Nigeria performs better to the
inclusion of everyone in the country”.

Governance, he said, is generally set to achieve the set targets
of providing security and welfare for the people.

The Senate President promised that the National Assembly would
collaborate and cooperate with the Executive arm of government to
use better approaches, new paradigm to improve the current
situations in the country.

Asked if they discussed the National Assembly security summit
proposal with the President, he said: “No, we haven’t discussed
that. But you know that at the end of the day, we are going to have
a security summit that will be a collaboration between the two arms
of government.

“And this is essential because while we provide the legislative
intervention that is required, the Executive arm of government is
the one that implements. So, we have to work together, and we will
do that.”

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