President of the Senate Mr Ahmed Lawan assured Wednesday that delay in the appointment of ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari would not affect preparation and presentation of the 2020 budget estimates.
Lawan said this while briefing State House correspondents after a close-door between him and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr Femi Gbajabiamila on one hand and the President Buhari on the other hand at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He said budgets are usually prepared by civil servants, stressing that as long as the budget is presented in September, the budget would be passed by first week of December.
If passed by December, the budget would be ready for presidential assent by January, thereby achieving the January–December budget circle.
“I think there is nothing to worry us deeply. The budget itself is normally prepared by civil servants, the permanent secretaries superintend and the directors will work most of the time.
“I believe that we are still on course and I believe both the executive and the legislature are on the same page on this, we desire and are prepared and determined to pass the budget by the first and second week of December by the grace of God, provided it is presented to us end of September,” he said.
The Senate President also pledged speedy confirmation of ministerial nominees by the president in contrast to what obtained in the 8th Senate.
“What we did today is to set the tone of what will be coming in the future. That is to say we will be confirming the nominees from Mr. President because that will really ensure that the country is properly governed and the CJN confirmation was a fantastic way to start confirmation process and we are very happy we are able to confirm him today having received the letter of request from Mr. President only last week,” he said.
The Senate President said the planned security summit by the National Assembly (NASS) would be a collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government.
“This is essential because while we provide the legislative intervention that is required, the executive arm of government is the one that implements. So, we have to work together and we will do that,” he said.
