President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday that he rates the Eight National Assembly very low on patriotism.
According to President Buhari, this is because the National Assembly stayed seven months without passing the budget his government presented.
In an interview with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), The President said a wrong culture was developed in the National Assembly, suggesting that they (the Legislators) dictate the terms.
Buhari said the Legislators were acting like they were the government of the day, adding that by so doing they were holding the nation to ransom.
He said, “I think a culture was developed in the National Assembly, that they should dictate the terms, I think it was wrong.
“It is the Executive that dictates the terms and take it before the Legislature that will examine it and agree or disagree with it.
“But when they go around posing that they are the government and not the Executive then that is a problem”.
President Buhari went on to reveal that he had to speak with the leadership of the National Assembly to ensure that they put aside their own interests for the good of the nation.
“I personally spoke to the Senate President, Saraki and the Leader of the House, Dogara, they could not deny it, I asked them how do they feel to hold the country to ransom for seven months without passing a budget?
“I told them that personally they are not hurting me, they are hurting the country.
“So really, in terms of patriotism, I think I rated them very, very low indeed”.
President Buhari said that holding the budget to ransom for seven months cannot be justified.
He said that he is frustrated because his government cannot move faster with all the projects that they have set out to achieve.
The President however said that some success have been achieved in his first term including bringing a relieve to the people in Nigeria’s Northeastern region.
