Tension in NASS as Buhari prepares to present 2018 budget

*Saraki, Dogara move to pacify aggrieved lawmakers

Lawmakers who are to sit at a joint session on Tuesday for presentation of the 2018 Budget by President Muhammadu Buhari are not favourably disposed to the presentation amid protest that the current year’s budget is being poorly implemented.

To douse tension among the angry lawmakers both the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his counterparts in the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara held meetings with the lawmakers appealing to them to allow peace for President Buhari to make his presentation.

The development was the reason the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha stormed the National Assembly Complex earlier in the day to meet with the leadership of both the Senate and House of Representatives on the scheduled visit by the President.

Members of the House of Representatives had last week showed sign of opposition to the planned Budget Presentation by President Buhari when they chorused ‘No…’ to the hint by the Speaker on the President’s scheduled visit.

Since members of the House of Representatives openly rejected the request for President Buhari’s visit to the National Assembly for Budget Presentation, there has been growing tension among lawmakers, many of who even threatened not to be on seat when the President came calling.

Aggrieved lawmakers who spoke on the issue alluded to their earlier protest against poor implementation of the 2017 budget and the hardship the anomaly it has entailed.

They said the poor Budget implementation by the Buhari’s government amounted to sabotaging their political future more so as many of their supporters have been complaining bitterly about biting effect of the poor economy of Nigeria.

One of the lawmakers who spoke with newsmen said: “How else can one’s political career be frustrated? Since 2015, we have never had a single budget that recorded 50% success in terms of implementation particularly with regards to capital projects. We had hoped that all these would be corrected in the 2017 budget but no! It is even worst.

“When we asked questions, no concrete response is forthcoming; and you expect us to just keep quiet and allow the President to present another budget that may go the same way.

“Remember that the 2018 budget is the last one to be executed fully by this administration. What will the President count as his legacy in terms of budget implementation?

“Also take note that all the budget failures has very damning effects on members of the National Assembly who are the real representatives of the people. What do they expect us to tell our constituents? It is really a sad moment for us.”

However, to stave off possible embarrassing moments when he finally shows up for Budget Presentations, both Saraki and Dogara had to hold separate meetings with their respective colleagues just to pacify them for the main time.

The Senate leadership, against this background met with the two party caucuses during which it got assurances that the budget presentation would not be disturbed.

The Senate leadership specifically tasked some Senators to move to the House of Representatives to assist the leadership in persuading lawmakers to accept to host the President at the budget event.

Olufemi Samuel, Abuja