An atmosphere of uncertainty continues to hang over the presentation of Lagos State 2019 budget size of N852.317 billion, as the legislative and executive arms of government appear not to be on the same page.
The executive said on Monday it was ready for the budget presentation while legislature on the other hand turned back State-House journalists who had gone to the House of Assembly to cover the proposed budget presentation, saying they were holding a private meeting and not ready yet.
Earlier in the day, indications had shown that the governor would be in the house to formally present the budget which had become controversial owing to accusations and counter-accusations between the two arms of the state government.
Recall that the executive had three weeks ago said that the contains of the 2019 budget had been sent to the house since December 2018. The lawmakers had responded swiftly, saying the governor sent the budget at a time they were in recess and demanded that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode come personally to lay the budget before the house as required by law.
Heavy security presence at the early hours of Monday had given a hint that the budget would be presented. However, some of the lawmakers spoken to expressed surprise over the development as they said they were not aware that the budget would be presented.
Hours later, at about 2:45pm, journalists covering the State-House, driven in the Lagos Office’s press crew bus, had arrived at the assembly complex having been informed by the public affairs officer in the Office of Chief Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Habib Aruna that the governor was set for the House of Assembly to present the 2019 budget. However, at the assembly premises, one of the security aides to Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, turned back the journalists, saying the speaker and members of the house were in a private meeting and were not ready for the budget presentation.
Also, some of the lawmakers said they only heard about the budget presentation when they got to the office on Monday.
“You know the norm and that governor would write to the house to inform that he would be coming to present the budget. This letter would be read on the floor of the house during plenary and preparations would commence to receive him.
“In this case, we are yet to hear anything. Remember we adjourned sitting till today (yesterday). I am not aware, except the letter came in this morning,” one of the lawmakers said.
However, one of the aides to Amboe, who was at the House of Assembly complex as part of advanced team of the governor, told BusinessDay at about 5:42pm that they were still waiting at the house, expecting the lawmakers’ signal to the governor to come for the budget presentation.
“The executive is ready and we’re still here (House of Assembly complex) expecting the lawmakers to signal the executive to come forward for the budget presentation,” says the governor’s aide.
At the time of this report, it was still uncertain that the governor would still come as normal activities continue within the Assembly complex.
JOSHUA BASSEY
