Friday, December 22, 2000
From Emeka Nwankpa,
Abuja
IN a radical departure from the acrimony that characterised last year's budget, President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday at exactly 1.02 p.m. signed the N894.2 billion 2001 Appropriation Bill into law.
Obasanjo explained that there was no reason why Nigerians should not begin to enjoy the benefits of democracy moreso, after a new spirit of co-operation had started to blossom between the executive and legislative arms.
According to the President, whose audience included Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, House of Representatives' Deputy Speaker Chibudum Nwuche, Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu, National Security Adviser Gen. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot Ekaette, the timely passage of the bill by the lawmakers was significant.
He described Tuesday December 19, when the bill was passed as historic in the annals of law-making and in the history of executive-legislature relationship. To him it was a "red-letter day."
He expressed appreciation to the National Assembly members for passing the bill barely 12 days to the end of the year, noting that his prompt assent to the bill, was to complement the sense of despatch and seriousness which, he said the lawmakers had exhibited.
He commended the Senate, the House of Representatives and particularly, the National Assembly leadership for exercising their legislative powers devoid of the frivolity that attended the Year 2000 Budget passage.
Specifically, he told the Senate President: "You mean business, you mean seriousness, you are a determined leader and thank you for bringing determination into the passage of year 2000 budget, 12 days before the end of the year."
According to him, he would implement the budget as had been passed by the lawmakers so that the generality of Nigerians could enjoy democracy in the country, adding that the budget was particularly significant as its implementation would determine the success or otherwise of his tenure.
He contended that the executive and the legislature had no reason to work at cross purposes, "We must work together for the good of this nation. The speed with which the year 2001 appropriation bill was signed has shown that we can work together."
The President also commended the lawmakers for finally confirming the chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board and some members of the Anti-Corruption Commission, noting that the new relationship was almost overstretched when the lawmakers "oversupplied" members of the anti-graft body.
In his own remarks, the Senate President expressed his conviction that the new spirit of co-operation between both arms had come to stay for good, saying: "The National Assembly has agreed to work together with the executive; we set targets and we work towards them."
On the budget, he said it was strategically targeted at ensuring that everybody enjoyed democracy's dividend, stressing that the lawmakers were still alive to their constitutional duties.
The occasion was witnessed by a mammoth crowd made up of ministers, National Assembly members and senior government functionaries of Niger Delta origin.
The Speaker, Alhaji Umar Ghali Na'Abba was absent as he was said to have travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Umra, the lesser hajj.