President Muhammadu Buhari blames Senate’s President Senator Saraki and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Speaker Yakubu Dogara for the hardships currently being faced by Nigerians, as a result of the delays in passing budgets.
The President due to this, said he is rating both houses of the National Assembly low on patriotism.
President Buhari blames the two leaders of the 8th Assembly, while speaking on a National Broadcast on Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) after months of ditching the monthly National Broadcast. He said he is rating the 8th NASS low, because they stayed seven months without passing the budget his government presented.
The President said a wrong culture was developed in the National Assembly led by Saraki and Dogara, suggesting that they (the Legislators) dictate the terms.
Buhari said the Legislators were acting like they were the government of the day, adding that by so doing they were holding the nation to ransom.
He said, “I think a culture was developed in the National Assembly, that they should dictate the terms, I think it was wrong.
“It is the Executive that dictates the terms and take it before the Legislature that will examine it and agree or disagree with it.
“But when they go around posing that they are the government and not the Executive then that is a problem”.
President Buhari went on to reveal that he had to speak with the leadership of the National Assembly to ensure that they put aside their own interests for the good of the nation.
“I personally spoke to the Senate President, Saraki and the Leader of the House, Dogara, they could not deny it, I asked them how do they feel to hold the country to ransom for seven months without passing a budget?
“I told them that personally they are not hurting me, they are hurting the country.
“So really, in terms of patriotism, I think I rated them very, very low indeed”.
President Buhari said that holding the budget to ransom for seven months cannot be justified.
He said that he is frustrated because his government cannot move faster with all the projects that they have set out to achieve.
The President however said that some success have been achieved in his first term including bringing a relieve to the people in Nigeria’s Northeastern region
Funny how the President is turning around to blame the National Assembly on how they could not pass the nation’s budget in time. I mean, if the budget process have been followed, by submitting the budget earlier, there will be no room for delays. Both the executive and legislative are guilty here, and not just the legislature!
We have also heard of the National Assembly calling on Agencies to submit their budgets, and some of these agencies take two to three extra months to take their budgets to the Assembly!
Another point I would like to make and fault the President on is, him saying the executive is the government…lol. I am not sure how true is that, as both the legislature and judiciary also make up the government, for checks and balances!!!
…the President also forgot that it took him months to appoint ministers in 2015, one of the reasons Nigeria slide into recession!!…also despite how badly majority of the present ministers have performed, there are rumours going around that they will all be returned for yet another four years without seeking the views of the masses!