By Frank Momoh
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said that the ninth National Assembly is working assiduously as a team to bring change to Nigeria through ensuring that it pass the 2020 budget before December by the Grace of God.
“The ninth National Assembly is determined to bring change to Nigeria,” Lawan said at the weekend while addressing his constituents in Yobe state.
“We want to work as a team in the National Assembly without recourse to our different political platforms.
“We have APC (All Progressives Congress), PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and YPP (Young Progressive Party) in the Senate. We are working together as a team and our goal is to do what will make Nigeria better.
“We don’t want to fight on partisan basis. It won’t help anyone. We are also determined to work with the executive arm of government because when we work together, Nigerians benefit better,” Lawan said.
Mr. Ola Awoniyi, in a statement, said the Senate President said everybody has seen how unhelpful it is to have a rancorous relationship between the Executive and the Legislature.
He said Nigeria will be the better for it if there is good relationship between the Executive and Legislature based on mutual respect.
“Members of the National Assembly have been working assiduously, tirelessly to ensure that we pass the 2020 budget before the end of the year.
“Today, members of the National Assembly stay in the complex up to midnight, working on 2020 budget.
We are determined to pass the 2020 budget before the end of the year by the Grace of God.
“This, we believe, will bring better economic environment for our people when the budget implementation starts from January instead of June,” he said.
The Senate President commended President Muhammadu Buhari for giving the National Assembly the necessary support by his timely presentation of the budget and his directives to government officials, making it mandatory for them to defend their budget estimates before the National Assembly committees.
“This shows clear commitment and it also shows clearly that we are working together with the executive in a very seamless and cordial manner for the benefit of Nigerians.
“We will continue to do that because what Nigerians expect is provision of services to them. That is why they elected all of us,” Lawan said