The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has raised alarm over the insertion of projects outside the purview of his ministry in the 2017 Appropriation Act by the National Assembly.

Fashola, a senior advocate, said it was unfair to the Executive arm for the inclusion of such projects after public hearings on the budget and defence of the fiscal estimates by the ministries.

“What I have in my budget now is primary healthcare centres, boreholes,’’ he said at an interactive session with editors on Thursday.

That was the meeting we had with the Acting President and that was the reason why the budget was not signed on time.

“We were asked to complete those abandoned projects; the budget of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was reduced by the National Assembly from N31bn to N10bn.

“We are owing the contractors about N15bn and they have written to us that they are going to shut down.

“Also, the budget of the 2nd Niger bridge was reduced from N15bn to N10bn and about N3bn or so was removed from the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja road budget.’’

“Everybody is complaining about power supply but they also cut the budget for Manbila power project and the Bodo bridge that connects the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Station was also cut and all these were also discussed.

“If after we have defended the budget and we had gone and the legislature unilaterally changed the budget, what is the purpose of deliberation?’’

According to Fashola, it is unfair to Nigerians after public hearings were conducted with taxpayers’ money and consultations with the lawmakers only for the budget to be altered, cut or padded.

The minister said that apart from the 200 uncompleted roads he inherited from the previous administration, the lawmakers added 100 roads.

“These roads are not federal roads and some of them do not have designs, how do we award roads that were not designed irrespective of the power you have?

“It is unconstitutional for the National Assembly to legislate on state roads.

“A budget is an estimation plan that set in motion what is to be spent, how much will be borrowed and how much will be collected.

“The executive controls all the machinery for collecting taxes and other revenue with relevant data from the Ministries of Finance, Physical Planning and the Budget Office and others.


“I am not saying that the legislature cannot contribute to the budget, but I hold the view that it cannot increase the budget because they do not collect the revenue with which to run or implement the budget,’’ he said.

Fashola, who held sway as Lagos State Governor between 2007 and 2015, canvassed interdependence and collaboration among the three arms of government rather than independence to ensure a harmonious relationship.

The minister said that without it, the country would not make progress and would be bogged down by the politics of total separation of power and what he called “power of example rather than example of power.’’

“The society benefits more from the power of example and interdependence rather than the example (show) of power; it requires that we show good examples.’’

On the concept of interdependence, Fashola said the President and the Vice-President could not swear themselves into office, but are sworn in by the judicial arm, while the president also proclaims the National Assembly without which it could not start business.

In the same vein, he said the National Assembly confirms ministerial nominees and justices of the courts who are in turn sworn-in by the executive.

He urged the intervention of the judicial arm of government to set the necessary parameters and set things right.

Fashola, however, blamed the electorate for putting pressure on the lawmakers and expecting them to do what was outside their constitutional duties of law-making, representation and oversight.

“There is need for mass orientation and enlightenment for Nigerians not to expect their elected representatives to provide roads, water, light and execute capital projects which is the function of the executive arm.’’

http://punchng.com/we-owe-contractors-n15bn-yet-nass-reduced-lagosibadan-expressway-budget-to-n10bn-fashola/


Cc: lalasticlala

what a country!

Don't worry sir. Humanity shall judge .This legislatures are worst than you could ever imagined

chai chai .....these Assembly guys are evil...they are worst than devil....wait and see they must die by fire this year...

...and we are just hearing about this. The newspapers were quiet and so was social media. Imagine this had happened elsewhere... We would have heard torrential wailings of marginalisation and "genocide".

The entire NASS members deserve recall. They are nothing but a waste of time and scarce resources.

omenkaLives:
...and we are just hearing about this. The newspapers were quiet and so was social media. Imagine this had happened elsewhere... We would have heard torrential wailings of marginalisation and "genocide".

The entire NASS members deserve recall. They are nothing but a waste of time and scarce resources.

Atimes I feel these criminals deserve to be poisoned. Wicked set of animals

That is what you can get from the leadership of Saraki. He has no conscience. He has been a thief and he is leading s group of thieves. Saraki has never worked for the good of this country but his pocket always pretend as if he is innocent.

NASS is a major hindrance to the development of the country, they put their selfish interest before the country , they will collect their constituency allowance and use it for their personal interest and try to smuggle projects that they need to carry out in the constituency into federal government projects, what is the update on the propose Lagos-ibadan railway project finance lending which was submitted to the house nothing heard about it again.
Fashola will know it is easier as governor of Lagos state than as a minister where there many interest you need to fight.

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Giving flimsy excuse why he can not perform. You inflated the cost of contracts and u think they will not cut it down? you lie. The moment the executive started fighting the National assembly I knew they were bound to fail. There is no cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature/Judiciary so how do you get things done. Buhari keep fighting corruption and neglect some basic tenets of democracy such as lobbying.

APC, a usless party. They control the executive arm, they control the national assembly, they appoint the Judges yet cannot deliver. A party divided against itself, how can they work. Thank God they are not blaming GEJ and PDP.

A party formed on falsehood and propaganda. And some miscreants are still shouting Sai Baba. When IPOB call Nigeria a zoo you start crying. Tell me where in democracy a ruling party that control the parliament, congress or national assembly cannot pass laws regarding their budget is it not a shame?

The truth is that APC is not a party but a club.

chinjo:
Giving flimsy excuse why he can not perform. You inflated the cost of contracts and u think they will not cut it down? you lie. The moment the executive started fighting the National assembly I knew they were bound to fail. There is no cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature/Judiciary so how do you get things done. Buhari keep fighting corruption and neglect some basic tenets of democracy such as lobbying.

. This guys have nothing to offer except blame games and excuses like a bad Workman that they are unfortunately they have people who soak in their trash, the Federal appointment has exposed him for what he his noise maker .

Na wa for our NASS oOoO...

chinjo:
Giving flimsy excuse why he can not perform. You inflated the cost of contracts and u think they will not cut it down? you lie. The moment the executive started fighting the National assembly I knew they were bound to fail. There is no cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature/Judiciary so how do you get things done. Buhari keep fighting corruption and neglect some basic tenets of democracy such as lobbying.

Did u read d write up @all or cos of ur hate for PMB u just decided to write dat trash. He shud lobby those criminals in NASS in other to construct roads or wat Roads dat will serve d masses, U Ipob guys need serious help, u guys really need to go back to ur biafra land cos u guys are turning to nuis*nce in dis country.

agbangam:
Na wa for our NASS oOoO...

na wa for Buhari govermment

So these fuckers who collect wardrobe allowance in tunes of millions , among many other bogus allowance goes behind the back of the minister to change what they deliberated on ?



Makes you wonder if NASS thinks those figures were plucked out of the minister's yansh


every contract / project will have been duly priced and verified by different organizations / entities in the Federal system including EFCC


why would a sane group of people deliberately starve an on going project of funds , how is that fair ?

Oga the projects wea inflated jare!!!!

Well, just give some ppl chance to shout NASS are criminals, as they can't think..

I'm sure the cost of constructing the road was inflated.

correctNwa042:
I'm sure the cost of constructing the road was inflated.

Which of the roads, the one Fashola said he inherited or those 100 roads inserted by NASS?

correctNwa042:
I'm sure the cost of constructing the road was inflated.

party in trouble

Sheer madness.... had it been a lie about National curriculum and Islamization bullshittt the likes of Liar Reno and thief Fani would be all over the place but this is about projects that largely affects the masses .... no sound from the clowns and jesters. Youths think this people don't care about your wellbeing only to incite you against each other.

The national assembly should face its legislative function and leave projects development and conception for the executive.

marv1:
That is what you can get from the leadership of Saraki. He has no conscience. He has been a thief and he is leading s group of thieves. Saraki has never worked for the good of this country but his pocket always pretend as if he is innocent.

LiePods as usual are supporting this guy.

omenkaLives:
...and we are just hearing about this. The newspapers were quiet and so was social media. Imagine this had happened elsewhere... We would have heard torrential wailings of marginalisation and "genocide".

The entire NASS members deserve recall. They are nothing but a waste of time and scarce resources.

And the 2nd Niger Bridge reduced by N5B didn't get your attention. Pretender

Adminisher:

LiePods as usual are supporting this guy.

.
Let them continue to support him. Saraki's days are numbered. The mistake APC made in making him the Senate President can never be repeated next time.

chinjo:
Giving flimsy excuse why he can not perform. You inflated the cost of contracts and u think they will not cut it down? you lie. The moment the executive started fighting the National assembly I knew they were bound to fail. There is no cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature/Judiciary so how do you get things done. Buhari keep fighting corruption and neglect some basic tenets of democracy such as lobbying.

By lobbying, do you mean to offer GMG bag to those set of people in NASS or what do lobbying entails in Nigerian context?