2016: NASS has to introspect- Nnamani

Former Senate President, Ken Nnmani has urged the National Assembly to be introspective in solving the budget impasse so that the country can move forward.

Speaking with journalists at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, he noted that issues of the budget needed co-management and cooperation of both the legislature and the executives.

According to him, the National Assembly has to do an introspection that will show how they got to this point. Whether the problem emanated from the legislature or the executives and know how to deal with it.

The budget impasse stemmed from discoveries of inconsistencies by the President after he received details of the 2016 appropriation. The President had refused to sign the budget urging the National Assembly to make the necessary corrections, especially that of restoring the Lagos-Calabar rail project which was hitherto dropped.

“The issue on budget,well budget is an area where we practice what we call co-management between the National Assembly and the executive branch of government,both of them co-manage the economy through the budget its a peculiar area,both of them will have to cooperate and collaborate for a proper budget to be passed and once it is passed, it becomes law.

“So as it stands today the situation is such that the National Assembly has to do what is called introspection, how did we get to where we are now, the year is running out and we are still talking about 2016 budget,where is the fault from? Wherever it is coming from, both the executive branch and the legislature must find a quick solution to it, it does nobody good to drag it any longer, remember it is an area of co-management,it is not left to the executive alone,it is not left to the National Assembly alone,there has to be collaboration” Nnamani said adding that the President stands to “reason,what I suggested is being studied I think is appropriate”.

Meanwhile the former speaker of the House of Representatives and governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, who was also at the Villa to see the President said the state was refocusing its forthcoming Economic and Development Summit to encourage local investors. An essential focus will be on agriculture.

“I said it before and I am saying it again,there was a time Kastina was entirely dependent on its natural resources,those resources are still there and I believe that we are sensitizing the general public and the world to know that there are lots of opportunities in Kastina and in Kastina with proper investment we believe we can make it,we believe we can survive on the natural resources and Agriculture and other resources that abound in Nigeria.

“So that is why we have tagged this “Economic and Development Summit” but also we are refocusing to encourage our own local investors,those who have N100,000 to invest can make more money than leaving the money in the bank.

“Essentially our focus will be on Agriculture and agriculture of selected crops and we are focusing on the natural ginger. We are focusing on the area of irrigated agriculture in the area of rice,cotton and other crops, we also have gold and diamond in Kastina but what we can lay our hands now is in the area of agriculture” he said.