The National Assembly has assured to pass the 2018 budget proposal next week after presenting its report for consideration in the two chambers this week.
This was part of the fall-outs of the meeting Bukola Saraki, Senate President and Yakubu Dogara, House of Representatives Speaker had with President Muhammadu Buhari at Aso Rock on Monday.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the closed-door meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Senate President said that the meeting was at the instance of Buhari to brief them on the outcome of his bilateral meeting with the American President, Donald Trump.
Saraki also said that issues of the invasion of the senate by hoodlums on April 29, when the President was away to London, the United Kingdom to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, CHOGM; the refusal of the Inspector General of Police to honour invitation to him by the senate as well as the passage of the budget were discussed at the meeting.
On their mission at the Villa, Saraki said, “We came on the invitation of Mr. President. He wanted to brief us on his trip to the United States and also the issue of the budget. We also talked about the invasion of the National Assembly, which he showed great concern and said action would be taken to investigate that.
“You see, we are here today, it was the initiative of Mr. President to brief us on his visit to America and to engage on discussions and I think that is a good sign.
“We at the National Assembly have always been ready to give all our support to the executive and we will continue to work along those lines. As I said, the presidential system we operate, we sometimes have the responsibility to check the excesses of the executive, so there will always be times we will disagree but by and large, we will always work for the interest of Nigerians and always keep on moving on.”
Senator Saraki who said the meeting which lasted about 45 minutes was peaceful, noted, “I think it is good that we touch on some of the important issues, as I said it is a continuous process.”
On the passage of the 2018 budget that is pending at the National Assembly, the Senate President said the report would be laid within the week for its possible passage next week.
He said, “Hopefully, it will be laid this week. If it can be laid this week and passed early next week but we are hoping it will be laid this week.”
Also fielding question on President Buhari’s response to the invasion of the senate, he said, “Of course, he sees it as an embarrassment to the country and that there will be a proper investigation because it is not just about the National Assembly, it is about the country.”
Asked whether the issue of Senator Melaye was raised at the meeting, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Dogara said, “On the issue of Senator Dino, of course anything that happens to one of our members or any member of the National Assembly is of concern to us. And there is no way we can have this kind of meeting without raising it.”
Also interjecting on the police handling of Dino’s matter, the Senate President said, “Just talking about the issue of the police, we also raised the issue of the non-appearance of the IGP at the senate and felt that they must continue to ensure that he continues to apply obedience to the issue of constituted Authority.
Impeachment of the President
Asked whether the purported plan by some senators to initiate the impeachment of President Buhari over his alleged contravention of the Constitution in relation to the purchase of 12 tucano jets from the United States at the cost of $469 million without appropriation from the National Assembly, the Speaker, Dogara said, “Well, I don’t think we have the authority to discuss issues of impeachment, impeachment is a political offence and I don’t think we are there yet.”
Meanwhile, President Buhari, Monday, said he was embarrassed by the invasion of the Senate by suspected hoodlums who made away with the mace which is the symbol of authority of the upper chambers, adding that proper investigation would be carried out to fish out those behind the invasion.
This is as the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara told President Buhari to call the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr Ibrahim Idris to order and compel him to obey the laws of the land.
They also described the arraignment of the Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West, on wheelchair by the police as barbaric and uncivilised, saying that it did not give good image to the nation’s democracy.
