Guardian

THE Senator representing Abia Central and Chairman Senate Committee on Gas Resources, Nkechi Nwogu has advocated collaboration between the executive and legislature from the preparatory stage of the appropriation bill to minimise the distortion and delay associated with passage of the budget.

Nwogu made the call at the weekend while speaking on the topic: ‘‘Executive-Legislative Relations and Challenges of National Security” at the annual public lecture series of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

She observed that timely passage of the annual budgets by the legislatures and its faithful implementation by the executive would greatly enhance government’s effort in tackling security challenges, as well as various other commitments of government.

The lawmaker, who agreed that several budgets passed in time had been subject of contention, explained that it had been so due to gap existing between the executive and legislature, especially in the formation of the budget.

She said: “I will recommend that executive should always collaborate with legislature from the preparatory of the budget to reduce much distortion when the budget is finally present to legislators. Though executive may claim to have better knowledge of economic indices but legislators have vast knowledge of what Nigerians need most as the people’s representatives”.

The senator said corruption has become a breeding ground for all manner of threats, as well as posed a threat to national security, adding that it had continued to manifest in all forms in the country.