TheCable

Ita Enang, senior special assistant to the president on national assembly matters (senate), says the closure of parliament may lead to a shutdown of government. 

On July 24, both chambers of the national assembly adjourned till Septemeber after security operatives laid siege to the residences of Senate President Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, his deputy.

This followed tension between the legislative and executive arms of government.

Speaking with reporters after attending a meeting with Ahmad Lawan, senate majority leader, and Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Enang appealed to the leadership of the national assembly to reconvene so that some of the requests the executive sent could be considered.

“Just in line with what the senate leader had said, we are still appealing to the national assembly to reconvene,” he told reporters.

“You remember that we passed the budget with understanding that the greater amount of it would be gotten by foreign loans. Although this was approved, amount to be gotten was not approved. The Fiscal Responsibility Act requires that the president should specifically state the amount the government want to get from foreign loans and present it before the national assembly.

“That letter has been presented to the national assembly and the national sssembly has to pass that amount before the money could be obtained from foreign financing institutions. This is what we are asking and if it doesn’t happen in the next few months, we may have a complete government shutdown.

“What we are receiving from the federation accounts as the federal government share the capital component is not enough to sustain even the 15 or 20 percent of the budget. So, there may be a complete government shutdown and I know that Nigerians are not going to like it. That is why we are still appealing.”