‘90 per cent of constituency projects executed in 2016 budget’

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SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, says over 90 per cent of the constituency projects captured in the controversial 2016 budget were executed by the Federal Government. He admitted also that the 2017 appropriation, recently signed into law by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, was majorly achieved through lobby.

Speaking at a seminar titled, “Executive-legislative Relations: Gaps, Challenges and Prospects” organised by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) for participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 10 in Abuja yesterday, Dogara, who was represented by the Chief Whip, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, noted that the rancour between the executive and the legislative arms of government was to strengthen democracy.

He stressed that it was the media that always overblew the issue to make it look as if both arms of government were fighting.

He said: “I think one major solution that will improve our relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government is the proper and effective utilisation of the infrastructure of the instrumentality of lobbying.”

In his remarks, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State said the states were the only federating units empowered to determine the number of local councils they want, adding the National Assembly should think thoroughly before seeking for autonomy in the ongoing constitution amendment.

His Ebonyi State counterpart, David Umahi, enjoined the Federal Government to always make provision for the rainy days while drawing up the yearly appropriation bill.