Your choice of language are unparliamentary and I would not respond to you- Fashola tells Senator Goje | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Friday 7 July 2017

Your choice of language are unparliamentary and I would not respond to you- Fashola tells Senator Goje

The war of words between Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola and the Senate is not abating any time soon. On Wednesday, the senate during plenary had a debate over the comments made by Fashola that they do not have the constitutional powers to alter the 2017 budget which the three ministries he oversees submitted to them for screening.

The Senate had slashed the funds allocated to some of the projects put in 2017 budget and Fashola had kicked against it. During the debate, Senator Dajuma Goje who is the Chairman of the senate committee on appropriation, faulted Danjuma for challenging their authority to adjust the 2017 budget.

He asked Fashola to resign if the workload in the Ministries he is supervising is too much for him and that Fashola should not mistake the National Assembly for the Lagos state Assembly where as a former governor of the state, he can wield some power. Fashola who is in Zimbabwe has now reacted to Goje's comment.

In a statement released by his media aide, Hakeem Bello, Fashola said Danjuma's comments were unparliamentary. Continue to read the statement The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN on Thursday said it was regrettable that the Senate Committee Chairman on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma 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.

In a Statement personally signed by the Minister and sent in from Zimbabwe where he is currently attending the 35th Annual General Meeting of the Shelter Afrique, Fashola said he was responding only for the purpose of refocusing attention to the issues at stake. According to the Minister, 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, the Minister declared:

“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.”

The Minister noted that the response to the issues he raised certainly should not have been accusations of his blackmailing the Legislature or referring to those who shared his views as his “surrogates”. Reiterating his respect for the Parliament as a house where very vigorous debates about development should take place, Fashola advised Senator 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”. Decrying the Senator’s admonition that he should learn how to “behave” like a “Minister” and the reference to the Senate awaiting how he would be “handled” by the House of Representatives, the Minister declared, “ I think first that the language is unparliamentary and therefore not deserving of a reply”.

Noting that Goje’s faux pas gave a clearer insight into how the Senator and those who may be minded like him may be thinking having transited from the Executive arm to the Legislative arm , the Minister called for caution. ” It seems that it is such people who need a behavioural prescription about legislative function,” Fashola said. According to the Minister, a good budget remains a necessary tool for the Executive to do its work because when services are inadequate, the members of the public often look to the Executive arm for answers. “ I need a better budget as a tool to do my work and that is why l am speaking out”, he said.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very apt.

Unknown said...

Dis is what senator Goje really need for now... dee

Anonymous said...

Fashola has suddenly eaten the humble pie. Fashola threw the first salvo by arrogating powers to himself and the executives that doesn't exist. Suddenly he has recognized his limitations and indirectly raising the white flag and calling for a truce.

Alas! Fashola now knows that there is indeed a BIG DIFFERENCE between the Lagos State House of Assembly and the the Nigerian House of Representatives.

Anonymous said...

Fashola has suddenly eaten the humble pie. Fashola threw the first salvo by arrogating powers to himself and the executives that doesn't exist. Suddenly he has recognized his limitations and indirectly raising the white flag and calling for a truce.

Alas! Fashola now knows that there is indeed a BIG DIFFERENCE between the Lagos State House of Assembly and the the Nigerian House of Representatives.

Unknown said...

'Idiets'
Corrupt Mofos.
'Nut' a fan of either Bastard.

OSINANL said...

FASHOLA THE MINISTER OF DARKNESS

Anonymous said...

Common sense is not commonly. I side with the Minister, If the issue are the amounts then the Senate should secure consultants to help. God know that we need brains in that senate...

Anonymous said...

Unlike many of these jegudu-jera senators, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has an incontestable track record of unequivocal commitment to public service, he is a thoroughly tried and tested achiever and he is way head and shoulders above many of those money-sharers in the Senate whose sole pre-occupation is sharing of huge salaries and allowances while adding little or nothing of productive value to national development. These senators should leave Fashola alone and let him do his work instead of dragging money with him for their own selfish pockets. The man is a SAN and clearly knows what he is talking about when he says the NA has no power to alter the Federal budget. The mere fact that they have been doing it and getting away with it for many years does not make it lawful. One day the judiciary will have to decide on this matter and tell them the truth. The reason evil thrives in any society is because good men keep quiet. Enough is enough, thieving politicians stop leading Nigeria backward when the whole world is moving forward.

D' Reason said...

constituency project, who has
dat help. fashola's ministries need much fund. Goje and Co's kw d budject benefits them.

SisterSledge said...

I love you SAN Fashola. You can never do wrong in my sight. Very articulate and confidence.more Grace.

Anonymous said...

I really like this man

Click Me to Download Latest Musics said...

Ok , NICE

Naijabetajobs said...

They want more money for constituency project so that they will build that dilapidated structure Dino Melaye built for this people, then pocket the rest money. Clueless senators

Babafemora said...

I cant wait to see the day when Fashola will appear before the House of Reps to give them the lecture of their life. all these constituencies project, who monitors them in terms of cost etc? just a bunch a thieves mtchewwww.

Anonymous said...

Fashola shouldn't have been the one to criticise the Senate for tampering with the budget proposal of his ministry. The budget proposal was prepared by various arms of his ministry and vetted by him as minister and sent to the president who must have gone through it before it was sent to the Senate to do their own job. The right person to raise an object over the issue of tampering should be the president who submitted the budget not Fashola.

Anonymous said...

If they had not cut the budget your education would have been complete. As it is now, you are not educated and you are not an illiterate. You thinking can only be shallow!

Anonymous said...

Mr. Anonymous, I don't think you understood what he stated above or u are plain ignorant. What is eating d humble pie in d above for crying out loud? Olodos too much on ds platform

Anonymous said...

Thank you my brother. Tell dem wey no sabi on ds platform.

Anonymous said...

U think say dem go understand anything wey fashola tells dem? As long as e no go put extra money for dem pocket, forget it

Anonymous said...

U think say dem go understand anything wey fashola tells dem? As long as e no go put extra money for dem pocket, forget it

Anonymous said...

U think say dem go understand anything wey fashola tells dem? As long as e no go put extra money for dem pocket, forget it

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:42, your comment shows you are an educated illiterate. Did you read what Fashola said?

Anonymous said...

Who are these illiterates that have populated the Nigerian legislature?
Nigeria is fighting corruption and corruption is fighting back. Away with the sineaters already!

Ngondu said...

All Nigerians must take this seriously, Niger bridge, Lagos Ibadan, etc are key infrastructural developments. These people are all about transactions and sharing formula. Are they not taking too much from us? They already have Constituency funds alloted to them.why do they need additional funds. Cheating games Peter and paying Paul. Borehole and wheel barrow National Assembly. Sad

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