The minister of power, workers and
housing, Babatunde Fashola says since
lawmakers have no powers to collect tax,
they do not possess the right to
unilaterally increase the budget
– Urges lawmakers to nominate
constituency projects that would benefit
their constituencies as against their
personal interests
– A section of lawmakers in the House of
Representatives has found speaker
Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers
of the House guilty of alleged budget
padding
The minister of power, workers and
housing, Babatunde Fashola, says it is not
appropriate for the legislature to unilaterally
seek to increase the national budget.
Fashola, speaking at the annual conference
of the Nigerian Bar Association said since
the federal lawmakers had no powers to
collect tax, they did not possess the right to
unilaterally increase the budget.
The Punch reports that minister who spoke
on the topic, ‘The Role of the Legislature and
Executive in the Budget Process,” also called
for collaboration between the two arms of
government in the budget process.
He said: “I like to say that it is not
appropriate for parliament to unilaterally
seek to increase the budget because they do
not collect taxes.
“I think there should be collaboration
between the executive and the legislature in
the budgeting process. In this process, clear
lines should be drawn because compromise
is better achieved where all parties know
their rights.”
READ ALSO: Buhari’s plan to probe Senators,
Reps backfires
He urged lawmakers to nominate
constituency projects that would benefit
their constituencies as against their
personal interests.
“If we say constituency projects, we must
make sure they are not senators’ projects.
Even if they were nominated by senator or
state lawmakers, they must be the projects
that the constituency own.
“In cases where the lawmaker who started
the project is not returned, the person who
takes over should continue the project. This
is not the case we have.
“What we see are new legislators coming
and starting their own projects. In my
ministry, we have over 200 constituency
projects with no parentage. I have said we
must finish these projects, but people are
nominating new ones. I said we must finish
the old ones,” Fashola said.
Meanwhile, a section of lawmakers in the
House of Representatives under the aegis of
the Transparency Group has found Speaker
Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers
of the House guilty as their accuser, Jibrin
Abdulmumin, the ex-appropriation
committee chairman.
The group said though all 10 principal
officers had disowned Jibrin, they were also
culpable in the padding of the 2016 budget,
The Punch reports.
housing, Babatunde Fashola says since
lawmakers have no powers to collect tax,
they do not possess the right to
unilaterally increase the budget
– Urges lawmakers to nominate
constituency projects that would benefit
their constituencies as against their
personal interests
– A section of lawmakers in the House of
Representatives has found speaker
Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers
of the House guilty of alleged budget
padding
The minister of power, workers and
housing, Babatunde Fashola, says it is not
appropriate for the legislature to unilaterally
seek to increase the national budget.
Fashola, speaking at the annual conference
of the Nigerian Bar Association said since
the federal lawmakers had no powers to
collect tax, they did not possess the right to
unilaterally increase the budget.
The Punch reports that minister who spoke
on the topic, ‘The Role of the Legislature and
Executive in the Budget Process,” also called
for collaboration between the two arms of
government in the budget process.
He said: “I like to say that it is not
appropriate for parliament to unilaterally
seek to increase the budget because they do
not collect taxes.
“I think there should be collaboration
between the executive and the legislature in
the budgeting process. In this process, clear
lines should be drawn because compromise
is better achieved where all parties know
their rights.”
READ ALSO: Buhari’s plan to probe Senators,
Reps backfires
He urged lawmakers to nominate
constituency projects that would benefit
their constituencies as against their
personal interests.
“If we say constituency projects, we must
make sure they are not senators’ projects.
Even if they were nominated by senator or
state lawmakers, they must be the projects
that the constituency own.
“In cases where the lawmaker who started
the project is not returned, the person who
takes over should continue the project. This
is not the case we have.
“What we see are new legislators coming
and starting their own projects. In my
ministry, we have over 200 constituency
projects with no parentage. I have said we
must finish these projects, but people are
nominating new ones. I said we must finish
the old ones,” Fashola said.
Meanwhile, a section of lawmakers in the
House of Representatives under the aegis of
the Transparency Group has found Speaker
Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers
of the House guilty as their accuser, Jibrin
Abdulmumin, the ex-appropriation
committee chairman.
The group said though all 10 principal
officers had disowned Jibrin, they were also
culpable in the padding of the 2016 budget,
The Punch reports.
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