By Raphael Ekpang
As lawmakers continue to shower encomium on President Bola Tinubu over the presentation of the 2024 budget proposal, Hon. Dr. Paschal Agbodike (APGA) representing Ihiala federal constituency at the House has said that the legislature will support the executive to succeed.
A member representing Ihiala federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Dr. Paschal Agbodike (APGA) has applauded President Bola Tinubu on the 2024 budget proposals, saying the legislature will support the executive to succeed.
He noted that the NASS will check the 2023 budget implemention and now consider the 2023 budget to enable Nigerians benefit from the government in all strata.
Honourable Agbodike made this known on Wednesday while briefing newsmen shortly after the presentation of the budget.
According to the former Anambra State deputy speaker, “Nigerians were impressed by the way the president presented the 2024 budget to the joint session of the National Assembly.
“We’ll check the performance of 2023 budget and look at the consideration of the 2024 budget before passing it into law.
“We shall do everything possible to support the executive to succeed. When they succeed, Nigeria has succeed. We are impressed, every head of a committee shall organise a meeting of members, look through the budget line by line after which we shall pass the budget.
“And after passing the budget, we still have the power to over sight the agencies and see to the implementation of the budget. We cannot just pass a budget and go home to sleep” he said.
He also commended the speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas for priotive steps towards the plan by the house to conduct town hall meeting where Nigerians will make inputs on the budget.
“Today Nigerians are impressed, seeing the way and manner the president has presented the 2024 budget to the joint session of the National Assembly. The next is for us the legislature to do the needful. Going by the speech of the speaker, he said we are going to conduct town hall meeting, where Nigerians shall come and make their own contributions and say how they want the budget to go.
“We are making this budget for the interest of Nigerians. It is true that am coming from the opposition side. But whenever we are to criticize, it must be constructive, after election, we are talking about governance.
He allayed fears on the implementation of the budget “wherever you see executive not performing, that means the legislature failed to do their oversight function. It is our constitutional powers to look through the budget”.
