Governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) say President Muhammadu Buhari is leaving a legacy in Nigeria’s budgetary process by assenting to the 2020 appropriation bill of N10.594 trillion before the end of the preceding year.
The governors, under the aegis of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), said the president had set a new record in Nigeria’s budgetary process by so doing because this was the first time since the inauguration of democracy two decades ago that the federal budget was signed before the end of the previous year.
The PGF chairman and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, in a statement issued yesterday, hailed Mr President for the historic feat by restoring the natural budget cycle that enthroned predictability and certainty in public financial management, macroeconomic projections and project execution.
The forum congratulated Mr President and commended the 9th National Assembly leadership that received and passed the Appropriation Bill on a record time of less than two months.
The forum expressed readiness to always support harmonious relationship between both arms of government at the federal level in carrying out their constitutional responsibilities in the interest of the Nigerian people.
The APC governors said they remained committed to a stable polity and economy, adding that “this new dawn in our budgetary process will have a positive bearing on the management of the budgets of state governments in terms of predictability of our financial projections and coordination of policies between the subnational entities and the central government.”
The governors promised to continue to draw lessons from President Buhari’s leadership and take all the necessary steps to replicate them in their respective states.
“Even critics of the present administration cannot contradict the fact that this development is an important democratic milestone. It signposts a healthy synergy between the executive and legislative arms of government towards the attainment of good governance in Nigeria. Certainly, this is the Next Level our people are all looking forward to.
“This feat is a reflection of the commitment of the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives to the APC Next Level Agenda and the resolve to cooperate with the executive on critical matters that border on national interest.
“Accordingly, the PGF, in addition to making input at the monthly National Economic Council meeting, would continue to collaborate with the federal government so as to stimulate positive public understanding and perception of the key issues and benefits in the budget which in itself is a milestone of transparency by the APC-led government in a bid to fulfill its campaign promises,” the statement added.
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