The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said
he would allow Nigerians to judge how patriotic the National Assembly
joint Committee on Appropriation led by Senator Danjuma Goje gave
priority to ‘tiny’ constituency projects at the expense of national
infrastructure in the 2017 budget.
Fashola stated this in a statement he personally signed and sent in
from Zimbabwe where he is currently attending the 35th Annual General
Meeting of the Shelter Afrique.
He said it was regrettable that Senator Goje would seek to trivialize
the issues he raised about the unilateral slashing of the budgetary
allocation to key national infrastructure by the National Assembly.
According to him, the Senator’s reference to the patriotism of
legislators should not be spoken but demonstrated as regards his calls
for a more developmental budgeting approach.
Explaining this further, Fashola said: “In this context, it is left
for Nigerians to then decide whether budgeting for constituency roads is
more patriotic than budgeting to complete the Kano-Maiduguri Road that
connects 5 states, the Lagos-Ibadan road that connects 3 states and
helps to move food, imported goods and fuel across the country; or the
2nd Niger Bridge that connects the East and West geopolitical zones of
at least 11 states together.
“I will also leave Nigerians to judge whether it is more patriotic to
budget for the Mambilla Power Project that will contribute to more
power across Nigeria or reduce the budget to build street lights in
legislative constituencies.”
Reiterating his respect for the Parliament as a house where very
vigorous debates about development should take place, Fashola advised
Goje to acquire the temperament for such debate and disagreement.
“Let me reiterate that I see parliament as a house where very
vigorous debates about development should take place and it is important
for Goje to acquire the temperament of debate and disagreement, he
said.
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