Sen. Ndume blames NASS leadership for budget delay

Sen. Ali Ndume (APC-Borno) has blamed delay in consideration and passage of the 2019 Budget of N8.83 trillion on the Senate leadership.

Ndume told Newsmen in an interview on Wednesday that the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers were ready to commence work on the budget but the leadership was not willing.

“Federal lawmakers on the platform of APC are more in number than their counterparts in PDP.

“However, since it is the PDP lawmakers that are controlling the leadership of both chambers, the speed with which any executive bill, particularly the 2019 Appropriation Bill before us will be passed lies with them.

“Those of us in the APC at both chambers have the passion and the will to effect expeditious consideration and passage of the 2019 budget proposals but the required speed for that lies with the leadership, topmost of whom are PDP members,” he said.

Ndume, however, commended the House of Representatives for kick starting debate on the general principles of the budget.

He added that the required expeditious consideration that should be given the 2019 Appropriation bill, should be extended to the expected Minimum Wage Bill.

He said Nigerian workers deserved living wage and not just minimum wage.

On popularity ratings between President Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ndume said Buhari would have 95 per cent votes.

“The difference is clear between the two of them as far as popularity and acceptability are concerned going by crowds attending their rallies.

“Buhari has already won the election going by the mammoth crowd being pulled by him even in the North East.

“Besides, to us in the North East, PDP is poisonous and it cannot be embraced in anyway by the teeming populace,” he said.