Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have stated that they are ready to receive the governor of the state anytime the executive is ready to properly present the 2019 budgetary proposal.
The lawmakers, on Thursday, January 10, 2019, cleared the air on news making the rounds in the state alleging their delay in the passage of the year 2019 budget.
Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, the Speaker, during the plenary session of the House said that there was no reason for anybody to shift blame on the Parliament over the late presentation of the budget for year 2019, saying the House is always ready to receive and pass the budget if done properly.
According to him, a letter was sent to the House through a correspondence dated 28th December, 2018, which is a total deviation from the norm of the House, a situation whereby the Governor comes to the hallowed chamber to present the budget to the lawmakers.
“We are representing the interest of our people and we will always do that. We have no resentment or bad blood; we are ready to receive the budget when the Executive is ready. The head of the Executive must be ready to perform his constitutional duties in this regard as stated in section 121 chapter 1 of the constitution”, he stated.
Hon. Oluyinka Ogundimu, representing Agege Constituency I, who raised the motion, noted that the correspondence sent to the House by the Governor was received on the 28th of December, 2018, while the House was on a short recess.
He added that: “We have a tradition to always have a concluded date with the Governor to present the budget. But in this case, we don’t know what this correspondence is trying to address”.
The Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, clarifying the procedure of the budget, stated that before the Governor presents the budget, there is a bilateral meeting between the Executive and the Parliament where issues on budget provisions and needs of Lagosians are discussed and then the budget is presented.
Meanwhile, the House has been adjourned till Tuesday, January 15, 2019, for the next sitting.
