2017 budget ready for passage –Faleke

A member of the National Assembly, James Faleke, has said that the much awaiting 2017 budget is now ready for passage, saying that the delay was a calculated effort to avoid “padding” in the budget.

Faleke also said that what the National Assembly tried to do this time was to address the needful once and for all with the budget details being submitted.

Speaking with newsmen on Monday in Abuja at the All Progressive Congress (APC) secretariat after a closed door meeting with the Kogi state APC stakeholders, Faleke confirmed that there is crisis in his state chapter of the party but however refused to comment further.

“Budget process takes some time, unlike what we had before where you talk about budget padding or no padding. What the national Assembly tried to do this time is to do the needful once and for all with the budget details being submitted. The budget is ready, only to be considered at the floor all committees through with their work probably this week.

When asked to comment on the budget delay, he said: “It is not about delay but doing things right. If we hurriedly do it and get it wrong, Nigerians will condemn us. It is about doing the right thing”.

On the performance of APC government two years into office, Faleke, who contested governorship election alongside late Abubakar Audu in the state said, “Nigeria would have collapse if Buhari did not win the last presidential election”.

“It is true that the party will be two years old by may 29 and I can tell you sincerely that the country has moved forward from what we used to be. Don’t forget that during the last regime things had almost collapsed and it is not easy to reform a collapsed economy over night. I think that what the President has done in the last two years is to have taken time to reform the economy which is now yielding fruits.

“I think if we did not have a drop in fuel price, maybe things would have been better off by now. In terms of security, we have done a lot, in terms of reorganizing our income especially as regards what the federal government gets inform of revenue, I’m sure you will agree that we have done a lot. In terms of blocking loopholes and fighting corruption, you know that we have done a lot. You cannot imagine how much has been recovered from individuals. If that system had continued till now, this country would have collapsed and I want to give kudos to the President for having done that.

“There are still areas of improvement, in governance; you cannot have it all as it is a continuous circle. I think we should thank God for President Muhammdu Buhari for coming as at the time he came after running for governance for about 12 years. Nigerians should just be patient and see the last two years of this government”, he said.