Following months of wrangling between the executive and the legislature, President Goodluck Jonathan today signed the 2013 Appropriation Bill into law.
A statement by the presidency said the latest development followed “consultations and an agreement” between the two arms of the government, and that the president has reassured Nigerians the consultations were in the best interest of the country and relations between the arms.
Following months of wrangling between the executive and the legislature, President Goodluck Jonathan today signed the 2013 Appropriation Bill into law.
A statement by the presidency said the latest development followed “consultations and an agreement” between the two arms of the government, and that the president has reassured Nigerians the consultations were in the best interest of the country and relations between the arms.
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“As part of the understanding reached with its leadership, the observations of the executive arm of government about the Appropriation Bill as passed by the National Assembly will be further considered by the National Assembly through legislative action, to ensure effective and smooth implementation of the 2013 Appropriation Act in all aspects,” the convoluted statement said, and it is entirely unclear what the agreement means.
The statement said the administration remained fully committed to the “positive transformation” of the country, and effective and efficient service delivery for the benefit of all citizens.
The statement marks the first time that the government is using that adjective to qualify its “transformation” scheme, apparently because many citizens have continued to criticize the contradiction of a transformation marked by massive corruption and bad governance.
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“All Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government have therefore been directed to work very hard to ensure that all the services, projects and programmes contained in the budget are successfully delivered on schedule in spite of the slight delay in its enactment,” the statement said.
It is widely-known that members of the executive and the legislature have been jostling for irresponsible items in the Appropriation Bill that were of interest to them.
The executive, for instance, had such items in the Federal Capital Territory budget proposal that include an outrageous four billion Naira allegedly to construct a “Peace Mission Building” for Mrs. Patience Jonathan; N150 million to renovate the Vice-President's Guest House; Five billion to rehabilitate commercial sex workers and the destitute; and an incredible seven billion Naira to construct two city gates in the FCT.
Somehow, President Jonathan approved those estimates.
The standoff between the two arms of the government has seen many government programmes brought to a halt. Many Nigerian diplomats abroad have not been paid their salaries for January
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