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INTERVIEW

There is also this belief that constituency projects
Qmoney is given to either senators or representatives, Sir
can you explain how it goes to clear the air
Unfortunately, I get sick any time I hear about constit-
Auency projects and money not because of anything other
than what a hoax it is, why should the issue of constituency
project be so escalated, as far as I’m concerned, I’ve never wit-
nessed even a 100% implementation of the so called constitu-
ency projects and let me just give you a certain breakdown of
what I always do and generally obtainable, is just an impact,
HON. ISIAKA and I don’t know why we are celebrating it. An input because
okay your Federal Constituency because you’re representing
them, certain thing should be done for the people which
of cause it is not expected or would have been captured by
IBRAHIM the MDA’s, and gentleman if I may ask you, this cloth you’re
wearing I’m sure you chose it and decided to wear it today, it’s

our various Federal Constituency. Let’s the Government assist
National assembly has returned Nigeria back to the just the same thing as you’re over sighting something, within
QJanuary – December budget circle, by passing budget ear- in this, that doesn’t mean you’re not having input and I make
ly. But it’s being interpreted as the legislature being a rubber bold to say that most of the project you’ll even have to source
stamp of the Executive. How would you react to this? for funds from other sources that you have to complete them.
It’s a mere interpretation, cause I don’t know how on So I don’t know why we just always want to celebrate it, why
Aearth somebody will look at me from this my cap to my it should always be the talk of the town, well there may some
shoes and say I’ m a rubber stamped person talk less of the exceptions and no one is immune but I want to assure you
leadership we have at the NASS, and more so in the House that the rule of the game if it’s followed to the later, it should
where you have the likes of our honorable speaker Femi not be what we should allow to overshadow other important
Gbajabiamila and so many other people who have actually things. I don’t subscribe to anybody set on what is meant for
contributed to the National Budget, you see, it just like what the Constituency, come what it, it’s domicile on the MDA’s as
we’ve been doing in the past, there was nothing too wrong the MDA’s implement. They only asked that you should come
about it, but what we have to correct is the inconsistency in and do it. I don’t see it as a crime, to beg, solicit and lobby that
the time we pass the budget, you know this is global, anything certain infrastructural program should be provided for where
budget of the federation, you need to move with the stream. you represent.
It’s a global phenomenon. You need to move the same time What will be your advice to MDA’s as regards the 2020
the entire world is moving so generally fiscal year is seen as QBudget?
January to December. For one reason or the other, what we Well the little advice I can give because that Budget it is
met on ground that kept repeating itself is that the budget Atied to all availability of fund, so that budget is what we
that comes late and if it eventually comes, the time for passage should talk about. I know and I’m sure if the funds are available
always takes a very long period of time. But the only thing I can and released to them, they will implement whatever is approve
tell you is that since June 2019 that we resumed, the leadership in the appropriation cause it’s a law, but if the funds are not
of the National Assembly especially the House of Representa- available the expectation will be minimal so our only advice
tives, has hit the ground running in a different style such that to them is that this is the budget, this is the resources we have,
we are also having a lot of synergy with our counterparts in whatever is released should be judiciously used and prioritize
the executive that’s the ministries departments and agencies, to meet the gearing and aspirations of all Nigerians. You know
in fact immediately the committees were set up, we started expectation are very high; unemployment our youths, we cry
interfacing with them all. It almost became a seamless exercise within ourselves we cry with them, we cry for ourselves, it’s
when the budget came and the MDA’s came to their respec- not the fault of anybody, not the governments fault is not your
tive committees over sighting them just to brush over what fault is not my fault, the global economy has move a little, it has
was submitted, also answer questions, look at Gray areas, the shifted, there is a paradigm shift and we need to catch up. Our
budget actually went through the legislative process before women, we need to empowered them, make them financial
it was passed it became a law “ Appropriation” and that’s just independent and if you look at the GDP we are mentioning the
what we have done and this law is not justified until it meets medium small scale, the formal sector constitute more than
its objectives, for the justification, the executives will have to the informal sector. So when we focus on those areas and try
provide the funding, and the legislators will have to oversight to assist them and again we should not shy away from the fact
them. It’s just a process that begins somewhere and we as that you cannot develop any economy if the infrastructures are
legislators have done our bit, it’s not a rubber stamp issue at all, not there, so I want to appeal to all MDA’s that infrastructural
I take exception to that, it’s just that we have actually fastened related open budget/appropriation that once they have the
the process, such as we have bridged a lot of gaps and its back money, they should prioritize and expertise action so that we
to the executives for implementation so as to fall in line with have projects all over.
international standard and what is accepted globally.
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