Two weeks after, the Lagos State Government has confirmed an exclusive story done by BusinessDay that the state’s 2019 budget was caught in the web of high political intrigues.
Olusegun Banjo, the state commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget finally opened up on Wednesday that the power play was within the state House of Assembly which received the draft bill from Governor Akinwunmi Ambode before now, but was yet to create the opportunity for the governor to physically present the budget.
BusinessDay gathered from resources within the government that the law makers have been arm-twisting Ambode to skew the N852.317 billion budget to favour their electioneering spending, a request the governor was said to have not fully complied to. The delay in the presentation of the budget, therefore, a source added, was to allow time for negotiations. BusinessDay had exclusively reported on December 18, 2018 the state’s 2019 budget was caught in the web of politics, aggravated by the outcomes of the All Progressives Congress (APC) October 2, 2018 governorship primaries in which Ambode lost his second term bid to Babajide Sanwo-Olu. With the loss, Ambode has till May 29, 2019 to stay in power.
Banjo, in a statement he personally signed on Wednesday said that the 2019 budget had been with the House of Assembly and was intended to be read by Ambode on December 24, 2018.
According to him, the governor had notified the House of intention to present the budget on Monday, December 24, 2018 after the State Executive Council (SEC) approval on December 19, 2018, but the ceremony was postponed as the House was on recess and thereby could not form a quorum.
He said in order to meet the traditional presentation, a formal letter was sent to the House on Friday, December 28, 2018, forwarding the contents of the budget.
It is expected that when the House reconvenes, the speaker would inform members of the content of the budget proposal sent by the governor and take necessary action,” he said.
Governance in Nigeria’s commercial state has ebbed significantly, as the vibrancy associated with Lagos and which has been the attraction for other states of the federation seems to have been lost.
With the 2019 budget still not presented four days into the New Year, Lagos has broken its long held tradition of unveiling its annual budgetary estimate within the fiscal year.
Ambode’s predecessor in office, Babatunde Fashola presented the 2015 budget of N489.69 on November 25, 2014. Ambode presented his first full circle budget of N666 billion for 2016 on December 17, 2015.
The budget presentation improved significantly the following year, as the 2017 budget of N813 billion was tabled before the House of Assembly on November 29, 2016 while the 2018 budget of N1.04 trillion was presented on December 11, 2017.
JOSHUA BASSEY
