To ensure quick passage of the 2019 budget, the House of Representatives has requested the Presidency to make early submission of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF to the National Assembly before the end of July.
The House also demanded the presentation of the 2020 budget proposal by September for early consideration of both documents for onward passage to help the country achieve the yearly January 1 to December 31 period of fiscal policy.
The Green Chamber of the National Assembly observed that reverting to the annual fiscal ritual would be healthy for the country and facilitate speedy implementation of people oriented policies and programmes.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House made these requests Monday when he received Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha who paid a courtesy visit to him at the National Assembly.
Gbajabiamila stressed that the MTEF needs to be submitted early and not in December, so that thr House will work on it before embarking on its long break and then come back while at the end of September the budget is presented.
“We want you to help us with this process. We want to streamline the budget process because the input of the members cannot be negotiated. So, if that input can come before the presentation of the budget, fine. So that when the budget comes, we just need little things here and there but not to rewrite a whole budget because we have not been carried along from onset. I think those are the issues”, he said.
The Speaker also disclosed the plan by the administration to handover the maintenance of the National Assembly building to the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCT, saying that the facility was in dilapidated state.
He further stressed the need for a healthy collaboration between the three arms of government to enable them serve the country better, adding that the independence of the legislature is key.
Gbajabiamila demanded the assistance of the Executive arm of government to set up a library of international standard for the Legislature, describing the one already in existence as a “bookstore”.
He said, “it is a bipartisan House as you have rightly observed. We stressed that point during our campaign. We further stressed it during the inauguration and we will continue to emphasize that bipartisan nature as we move along. It is embedded in our minds of the joint task of nation building. That’s why we will becoming to you, when I say you, I am talking about the executive with a shopping list which will make our work easier. Your office is very critical to us being able to actualize the legislative agenda we have set for ourselves.
“The list will include things like Library, a world class library. Much as we pride ourselves as the biggest country in Africa, this national assembly does not have a library that you call a library. It is unfortunate that we have to say it. What we have is akin to a shade at the back. It is like a bookstore. These are the tools of our trade. The things we need to have a robust legislature. And so, we will be needing your intervention in that regard. We will needing to make the House IT complaint.
“You may be amazed that the National Assembly such as this, to get access to the internet is actually a problem. And how do you work if you don’t have these things at your fingertips?
“But I am glad to announce that even by tomorrow as we resume sitting, one of our reforms will already be in place. The chambers is more or less 80% IT compliant. We have a new set of equipment that allows easy face recognition and electronic registration or internet server as they say. This was done on our own in the last 2 to 3 weeks because they were promises we made and we must fulfill.
“So, we will need you to play your role in making this work. For me and many of us, the independence of the legislature is very key and absolutely important to us. But people seem to forget is that there is independence and also interdependence of all three arms of government. You need me and I need. It’s gonna be a symbiotic relationship between all three arms of government. No one is an island. And the three of us need to work together for the good of the people who we seek to govern.
“So for us, this is a welcome development that you have come here today. We will handover the maintenance of this building to the FCT because as it is today, the building is almost collaping. Maintenance is at zero level. We believe that it should be handed over to the FCT where it will a lot easier”.
Gbajabiamila announced that the House would create a Committee on Ecology to tackle issues arising from the environments.
Earlier, the SGF, Mustapha who was accompanied to the House by some of his Permanent Secretaries and the Presidential Aide on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang congratulated the Speaker on his election, praising the bipartisan decision of the members that brought the new leadership to office.
Mustapha said he was in the House to solicit for the cooperation and collaboration of the leadership and members of the House to enable the present government entrench good governance.
This is a courtesy call and it is intended to continue to pursue our working together for the good of Nigerians. The legislature is a very important arm because you have been invested with the power to make laws and legislate on all matters that are brought before you.
“We bring estimates but the power of appropriation is vested in the national assembly. Our relationship is symbiotic, mutually beneficial if we work together. We have come to continue to extend the hands of fellowship to the National Assembly
“The bipartisan approach will continue to help you and I am confident, knowing the calibers of the people. We want to assure you that the executive will be willing to partner with you to provide the benefits of democracy to our people”, he said.
