President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday says he is looking forward to mutual and effective working relationship with the 9th National Assembly toward improving the budgetary process and restoring the country to the January-December fiscal cycle.
He made the remarks while receiving his old school mates, who came to congratulate him on his re-election for a second term in Daura, Katsina State.
The President, according to a statement sent to The DEFENDER by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, recounted how the delay in the passage of budgets hindered timely execution of projects across the country.
With the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the presidential election and majority seats in the ninth Senate, President Buhari expressed confidence that more work will be done to improve the efficiency of the budgetary process.
He told his classmates in the 1953 set of Katsina Middle School, Daura led by Senator Abba Ali it is on record the 2018 budget proposals submitted to the National Assembly on November 7, 2017 was passed after seven months.
Notwithstanding the challenges, Buhari assured his classmates the Executive arm of government, under his watch, will strive towards effective implementation of national budgets while promoting transparency and accountability.
He thanked his old school colleagues for the ‘reunion’, commending their interest and useful suggestions on advancing Nigeria’s prosperity and stability.
In his remarks, Senator Ali, while congratulating the President on his re-election, said majority of Nigerians believed in his purposeful leadership and resoundingly renewed his mandate.
The Senator, who wished the President more success in his second-term, noted the country will benefit more when the executive and legislative branches of government work in unison on national interests.
