Presidency says no crisis between Buhari, NASS over 2022 budget, reports fictional

Presidency has dismissed reports of crisis between President Muhammadu Buhari and members of the National Assembly as fictional, saying the president never expressed anger in his dealings with NASS.

It however, admitted that there was disagreement between the Executive and legislature over 6,576 new schemes worth N37 billion “smuggled” into the 2022 budget by the NASS.

Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, confirmed this development in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

He said: “The Presidency wishes to clear the air regarding the widely-viewed/reported episode on Friday, December 31st at the State House during the signing of the 2022 Budget and Finance Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“This is specifically on the insertion in the 2022 Appropriation Act, of 6,576 new schemes worth about N37 billion by the National Assembly.

“While it is true that the President expressed disagreement with these and many of the other alterations, including the “reduction in the provisions for many strategic capital projects to introduce ‘Empowerment Projects’,” innumerable lies are being spread about the President being “angry” at, had “blasted” or “lashed out” at the Parliament.

”This cannot be farther from the truth.

“As the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmed Lawan said shortly after the budget-signing ceremony, disagreements as the ones listed by the President are normal in the everyday Executive-Parliamentary relationship because, as he explained, “executive and legislative judgements don’t always have to be the same.”

“While we note that there are people who are trying to create a fiasco between the two arms of government on account of the budget, we assure that they will, in the end, be disappointed.”

According to Shehu, the Executive and the 9th National Assembly have since moved away from the wild, destructive political games of the past, conducting themselves in a way that puts national interest supreme in their decisions.

“We doubt if there is a patriotic citizen who wants to see the return of the operating environment engendered by the 8th Senate when an elected government was held in chains, held hostage to the desperate political ambitions of a clique.

“And the public denied needed services including that which impinged on national security.

“Happily, the 9th National Assembly is more about policy than politics.

“Under the constitution, both arms of government are coequal and at the same time, independent and interdependent. The rule of the game is cooperation and the President, as a democrat, fully accepts this.

The presidential aide explained that the president was clear and candid in expressing his reservations with the numerous changes to the 2022 Budget made by the National Assembly, which he said, would hamper its implementation.

Shehu said: ”However, to respond to critics that question why assent to the Budget if it was so severely tampered with, we wish to respond as follows:

”Need to Save Value-Additive Projects, Programs & Policies:

“Although over 10,733 projects were reduced and 6,576 new projects were introduced into the budget by the National Assembly, there are tens of thousands more provisions in the 2022 Budget, all of which, when efficiently and effectively implemented, will have significant developmental impact on the lives and livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians.

“Given Mr. President’s commitment to improving the lot of the common man, it was felt that it would not be wise to throw away the baby with the bathwater”.

Shehu expressed the hope that the President’s forbearance in assenting to the budget would save ongoing capital projects, critical recurrent votes and priority new projects that featured in the 2022 budget, from implementation delays and other challenges.

According to him, President Buhari is a democrat who deeply believes in the supremacy of the Constitution, with its checks and balances across the three arms of Government.

“In terms of the passage of legislations like the Appropriation Act and other Money Bills, the National Assembly has equal responsibilities with the Executive.

“Indeed, if Mr. President had declined assent to the 2022 Appropriation Bill, the National Assembly has powers to override the President’s veto if they can drum up a 2/3 majority vote. This is the constitution.

“Happily, this situation has not arisen during the tenure of Mr President’s administration, and the executive’s relationship with the leadership of the 9th National Assembly is much improved over what happened with the 8th National Assembly.

“It is on account of his confidence in the strength of this excellent working relationship that Mr President has directed that an Amendment Budget Proposal should be prepared and submitted to the National Assembly, once they return from their recess,” he added.

The media aide, therefore, expressed the hope that the National Assembly would carefully consider and approve the 2022 Amendment Budget Proposals, once presented to them in due course, for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“It is important therefore that, in place of “anger” or confrontation, President Buhari showed the democracy-loving side of his personality as he signed the budget at the same time calling for dialogue with the parliament to resolve the contentious issues.

“The Presidency under Muhammadu Buhari and the parliament under Lawal and Gbajabiamila are committed to a good neighborly relationship and this or any other disagreement between the two arms of government will not alter the dynamics of that relationship,” he said.