Budget row: Fashola can't dictate to National Assembly - Rafiu Ibrahim

Date: 2017-07-18

By Ahmed 'Lateef

The last may not have been heard on the blame game trailing the passage of the 2017 budget by the National Assembly as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim, yesterday faulted the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on his alleged outburst against the lawmakers over reduction in the votes allotted to his office in the appropriation act.

Fashola had criticized the Senate for slashing the total estimate allocated to his ministry in the budget recently assented to by the acting President Yemi Osinbajo from N31billion to N10billion.

He posited that the huge reduction would incapacitate his office on some of the projects such as Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge and Mambila Plateau Power project among others that were already earmarked for completion.

But Senator Ibrahim, who spoke to Journalists on the sidelines of the 5th Edition of the University of Ilorin's Students' Union Leadership Summit held in Ilorin yesterday, said it was unbecoming of the Minister, who he described as an appointee of the President to criticize the legislature.

He stated that as far as appropriation bill is concerned, Fashola cannot dictate to the National Assembly on what to do and what not to do, saying it is an organ vested with powers to either increase or reduce the budget size.

Ibrahim explained that the issue of budget is primarily between the lawmakers, who represent their constituents and the Nigerian populace.

The lawmaker maintained that the Minister was oblivious of the fact that he is no longer the Lagos State Governor, who possesses all powers.

He added that both chambers of the National Assembly had passed the budget and was subsequently signed by the acting President.

The Senate Committee Chairman advised the Minister to refrain from his criticism of the budget allotted to his Ministry in the appropriation act and represent those projects that were not captured in the supplementary budget.

"The Honourable Minister and former Governor of Lagos State doesn't own the budget; he doesn't own the Ministry. He is a Minister appointed by the President, who stood for an election.

"The President presented the budget according to the Constitution and the National Assembly deliberated on the budget and passed it back to the President and the President signed, who is Minister to complain? That is my take. I think he (Fashola) has forgotten he is no more Governor of Lagos, where he has all the powers.

"He is just a Minister. So, we have gotten to a point that he has to realize that for the budget, the dealing is majorly between Nigerian people and the National Assembly. And constitutionally, it is the President that laid the estimates and when we passed it, we passed back to the executive, that is the President, to assent.

"And the President has assented (the budget) as done by the acting President. So, for me as a lawmaker representing my people, if the executive is thinking of anything, they can bring a supplementary budget", Ibrahim said.

On the summit and the book launch in his honour, the lawmaker expressed satisfaction with the activities of the students' union.

"I'm very happy, humble and glad to be associated with a great institution like this. As I promised, I will not let them down", he said.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Facebook     C2c@kwarastate.gov.ng     Bahago     Bayer AG     Azeez Salawu     Oba Abu     Yakubu Dogara     N-Power     Simon Sayomi     Forgo Battery Company Limited     Funmi Salau     Salman Alada     National Party Of Nigeria     Quareeb     Saka Abimbola Isau     Salaudeen Oyewale     Kwara State Fire Service     Sardauna Of Ilorin     Talaka Parapo     Turaki Of Ilorin     Makama Of Kaiama     Gafaru Olayiwola Olorisade     Yunus Lawal     Abikan     Hameed Oladipupo Ali     Obayomi Azeez     Ayo Salami     Tafida Of Kaiama     Leke Ogungbe     Odo-Owa     Tunji Ajanaku     Bilikis Oladimeji     Femtech     National Association Of Nigerian Students     Sabi     Tinubu Legacy Forum     Kayode Ogunlowo     A.O. Belgore     Abdulmajeed Abdullahi     Oba Abdulraheem     Toyin Saraki     Olaitan Adefila     Baba Idris     Awwal Jawondo     Waheed Ibrahim     Yakubu Danladi     Academic Staff Union Of Universities     Alimi     Babatunde Ishola Babaita     Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh     Olabode Towoju     Yakubu Shaaba     Afusat Nike Ibrahim     Read With Me     Kolade Solagberu     Kwara Restoration Project     Ahmed Shuaib Buranga     Abdulraheem Yusuf     Nigerian Correctional Service     Bolaji Gambari     Kazeem Adekanye     Stephen Fasakin     Abdulkarim Adisa     Hassan Taiye Salam     Zubair Folorunsho Erubu     Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency     Madawaki Of Ilorin     Mujtabah Bature     James Kolo     Al-Adaby     Fatai Adeniyi Garba     Oba Mogaji Abdulkadir     Yusuf Ali     Illyasu Abdullahi     Mohammed Ghali Alaaya     Kaiama     Amos Bajeh    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

VADA     Universal Basic Education Commission     Tanke Road     Tayo Awodiji     Village Alive Development Association     Abdulmalik Bashir Mopelola Risikatullahi     Bayer Nigeria Limited     Aishat Sulu-Gambari     Moses Salami     Quarry Royal Valley     Alaaya     Ibrahim Issa Jetti     Mutawalle     Neo Mundo Ltd     Moses Rahman Popoola     Plat Technologies     FOMWAN     NAWOJ     Kwara State Television     Omotosho     KWACOBPA     KWSIEC     AbdulRasaq Abdulmajeed Alaro     Ibikunle Ogunleye     Titus Ashaolu     Government High School Adeta     Elese Of Igbaja     Tinubu Legacy Forum     Funmilayo Mohammed     Al-Ilory     Communication Network Support Services     Akorede     Abiodun Abdulkareem     Abubakar Imam     Hijab     Government Girls’ Day Secondary School Pakata     Malete     Oladipo Akanmu Tolani     Mary Kemi Adeosun     Nurudeen Mohammed     SSUCOEN     Sa\'adu Gambari     Elewu     Halimat Yusuf     Ahmad Uthman     Adamu Ibrahim Sabi     Kwara 2023     Oloyede     Baboko     Face Masks     Abiodun Oyedepo     Raliat Islamic Foundation     Dasuki Belgore     Abdulraheem Yusuf     Suleiman Ajadi     Omotoso     Esinrogunjo     Azeez Bello     Orisun Igbomina     Local Government Pension Board     Lawan     Salihu Jibril Garbi     Sarah Alade     Lanre Jimoh     Ubandoma     MAI Akande     Raliat AbdulRazaq     CCEPE     Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak     Atiku     Bisi Oyeleke     Baruten     Taofik Abdulkareem     Okiki     Hassanat Bello     Law School Scholarship     Ganmo