Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State; Speaker, House of
\nRepresentatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara; and Minister of Budget and
\nNational Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, are among top public officials
\nthat will dissect the budgetary process as a key interface between the
\nExecutive and Legislative arms of Government in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
The event is a Colloquium conceived by OrderPaper.ng, Nigeria\u2019s premier
\nindependent parliamentary reporting portal to address contentious issues
\non the Budget and will bring together several top government officials
\nfrom both arms of government to share ideas, perspectives and experiences
\non the Appropriation process as provided for in the 1999 Constitution (as
\namended).<\/p>\n
The high-profile event billed to hold on September 26, 2016 in Abuja will
\nattract attendance and participation from critical stakeholders in the
\nExecutive, Legislature (National and State Assemblies), Academia, Media,
\nNigeria\u2019s Development Partners, Civil Society Organizations,
\nCommunity-based Organizations, Private Sector and other stakeholders,
\nincluding political operators across partisan divides.<\/p>\n
According to Mr. Oke Epia, Publisher\/Editor-in-Chief of OrderPaper.ng,
\n\u201cthe focus on the budget at the Colloquium in September is a deliberate
\nattempt to address fundamental issues that have arisen on the budget
\nespecially in recent times.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is need to deepen the debate about which arm of government plays
\nwhat roles in the Appropriation Process and to exactly what extent. Where
\ndoes the National Assembly\u2019s power of appropriation begins and ends? Is
\nthe Executive vested with unquestionable powers regarding the estimates it
\nsends to the Legislature as annual Budgets? Or on the reverse, is the
\nLegislature conferred with such far-reaching powers as to be able to
\nsubstantially alter the estimates so received from Mr. President or a
\nState Governor? What about the disturbing lexicon of \u2018Padding\u2019 that has
\ndogged the 2016 budget like a leech? These are questions to be addressed
\nby a holistic gathering of Executive; Legislature; Experts in
\nConstitutional Law; and Civil Society actors, among others invited to
\nattend The Gallery Colloquium on September 26.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is noteworthy that Tambuwal before his ascension to the Executive
\nposition of Sokoto State Governor, was Speaker of the House of
\nRepresentatives in the 7th Assembly and had also been a principal officer
\nof the lower chamber in the preceding tenure. He is expected to add a rich
\ncomparative perspective to the Budget debate with his experience across
\nboth arms of government.<\/p>\n
Speaker Dogara on the other hand, being a key figure in the 2016 Budget
\nprocess that has continually been dogged by controversy, is expected to
\nbring his contemporary experience especially with respect to the
\ncontroversial concept of \u2018padding\u2019 to bear on the conversations come
\nSeptember 26.<\/p>\n
Sen. Udoma as Minister in charge of the national budget and one who has
\nbeen a Leader of the Senate and former Chairman of the Appropriation
\nCommittee of the Upper Chamber, is expected to deliver a keynote address
\nthat will enrich the debate on the budget.<\/p>\n
The Colloquium, tagged \u2018The Gallery\u2019 is a signature programme of
\nOrderPaper.ng conceived to provide a platform for various stakeholders in
\nthe democratic project to cross-fertilize ideas and proffer suggestions
\nand solutions on thorny issues bordering on the triumvirate of
\nLegislature; the Executive; and the Electorate.<\/p>\n
The broad Objective of The Gallery is to provide a forum to smoothen rough
\nedges towards better inter-governmental relations and improved cooperation
\nfor the ultimate benefit of democracy and the Nigerian nation in general.<\/p>\n
OrderPaper.ng is Nigeria\u2019s premier multi-platform media company dedicated
\nto reporting, tracking and archiving activities of the legislature as an
\narm of government for the digital generation. As the first authentic and
\nindependently-driven online medium of interface between citizens and
\nelected representatives, its mission is to deepen democratic growth and
\ndevelopment. OrderPaper.ng is non-partisan, non-aligned and
\nnon-discriminatory; and is founded on and guided by TRUTH, BALANCE,
\nFAIRNESS and the pursuit of EQUITY.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State; Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara; and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, are among top public…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n