Executive, legislature relationship grow sour under Buhari – Group replies Ita Enang

A civil society organisation, the Centre for Literacy and Leadership, has faulted the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Ita Enang on his claim that the relationship between the executive and the National Assembly is the best so far.

Reacting to the claim, the Executive Director of the group, Engr. Bismack Oji said: “This is actually the worst executive-legislature relationship since 1999. For the first time, a sitting Senate President was arraigned twice. His only crime was that he was preferred and legitimately elected Senate President by his colleagues against the will of the executive.

“For the first time, the executive arraigned the Senate President and his Deputy on trumped up charges of forgery of Standing Rule, whereas even the cooked up police report neither mentioned any of their names let alone indict them.

“For the first time, the nation heard something like a missing budget, with allegations that it was rewritten and returned through the back door. Even some Ministers denied the budgets of their ministry during budget defence.

“For the first time, the executive and the legislature no longer meet or consult. It is on record that the President and the leadership of the National Assembly has not met more than twice since May 29, 2015.

“For the first time the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria cannot meet because executive nominees are stuck at the National Assembly due to executive incompetence.

“For the first time, the executive illegally keeps in office people nominees rejected by the National Assembly. Today, can we say that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is properly constituted?

“For the first time, the President appointed 1,258 members of boards amid allegation that there was not a single input by the principal officers of the National Assembly, including the Senate President. Yet they were able to accommodate the interest of dead people.

“What manner of best relationship do you have when the budget has never been passed earlier than May since this administration came on board because of lack of pre-budget consultation? The executive behave as if they are from another planet”.

The Centre also said the more number of bills passed by the current Senate when compared to the 7th Senate has nothing to do with Executive legislature relationship.

“It actually has to do with the competence of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Business and Rules, a position occupied by Enang in the 7th Senate. It is the bills you list as the Chairman of the Business and Rules that the Senate will work on and pass. So, Enang is unwittingly advertising his own incompetence”. It declared.