Towards resolving the 2016 Budget impasse, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met behind closed door with former Senate President, Ken Nnamani and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Bello Masari.
Many grey areas in the 2016 Budget has prevented Buhari from signing the appropriation bill into law.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Senator Ken Nnamani said that what he suggested to President Buhari stands to reason and a good way out of the Budget impasse.
He said that he believed that what he suggested is being studied.
He said: “The issue on budget, well budget is an area where we practice what we call co-management between the National Assembly and the executive branch of government, both of them co-manage the economy through the budget its a peculiar area, both of them will have to cooperate and collaborate for a proper budget to be passed and once it is passed, it becomes law.
“So as it stands today the situation is such that the National Assembly has to do what is called introspection, how did we get to where we are now, the year is running out and we are still talking about 2016 budget, where is the fault from?
“Wherever it is coming from, both the executive branch and the legislature must find a quick solution to it. It does nobody good to drag it any longer, remember it is an area of co-management, it is not left to the executive alone, it is not left to the National Assembly alone, there has to be collaboration.
“I think he stands to reason, what I suggested is being studied, I think it is appropriate.” He added
Speaking on his rumoured decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he said: “I will not join a party in secret. When it is time I am joining any party, I will make it public. Today I am bipartisan.”
On whether he would not advice President Buhari to sign the Budget as was passed by the National Assembly and later send a supplementary budget, Bello Masari, who is the Katsina State governor, said that himself will never sign whatever he is not sure of.
“You know I am now am executive and I signed budget for Kastina state and before I did that I made sure I knew what I am signing for. So take it as I said.” He stated
On what should be the focus of this administration, he said that the way to go is to go back to the basics, which are Agriculture and natural resources.
He said: “I said it before and I am saying it again, there was a time Kastina was entirely dependent on its natural resources, those resources are still there and I believe that we are sensitizing the general public and the world to know that there are lots of opportunities in Kastina and in Kastina with proper investment we believe we can make it,we believe we can survive on the natural resources and Agriculture and other resources that abound in Nigeria.
“So that is why we have tagged this “Economic and Development Summit” but also we are refocusing to encourage our own local investors, those who have N100,000 to invest can make more money than leaving the money in the bank.
“Essentially our focus will be on Agriculture and agriculture of selected crops and we are focusing on the natural ginger,
“We are focusing on the area of irrigated agriculture in the area of rice,cotton and other crops, we also have gold and diamond in Kastina but what we can lay our hands now is in the area of agriculture.” He stated.
( The Nation)