Lagos budget: Executive, legislators meet to find common ground

The face-off between Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the Lagos State House of Assembly over the 2019 budget of the state may soon be resolved as efforts have commenced by both parties to find a common ground for the impasse.

Sequel to this a committee set up by the Assembly headed by the Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade met the executive team led by the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Idiat Adebule at the Assembly premises on Friday for a meeting to resolve the on-going crisis between the executive and the legislature amicably.

Other members of the Committee are: Hons. Moshood Oshun, Dayo Saka Fafunmi, Lanre Ogunyemi, Mojisola Lasbat Miranda

The meeting was confirmed by sources close to the committee, as the sources said it is part of an agreement to ensure that actions are taken in the interest of the state.

The Lagos state House of Assembly had recently given Governor Akinwunmi Ambode a seven-day ultimatum to appear before the lawmakers and answer to allegations of misconduct and infractions in relation to the 2018 and the 2019 budgets.

The House has also warned that if the infractions on the budget continues the House would be forced to constitutional sanction on the government which is impeachment.

The threat, however, led to a massive protest by admirers of the Governor to the Assembly on Thursday calling on the lawmakers to shelve the impeachment plan and let Ambode be followed by a press briefing by a coalition of civil society groups condemning the move by the Assembly and threatening to shut down the Assembly of the action is not halted.

The current reconciliatory effort may not be unconnected with these public reactions and concerns by the party leadership over possible backlash of such actions with election just few weeks away.

The committee, it was learnt, met with some commissioners on Thursday.

“Our people have also met with the deputy governor over the current friction. The meeting is just to find an amicable ground.

“We know the executive arm actually committed the infractions, but for the interest of the state and to keep it safe ahead of the election, we have to look for a soft landing for them,” the source said on Friday afternoon.

It was learnt that the outcome of the meeting may be deliberated at a parliamentary session when the lawmakers reconvene.

The lawmakers had alleged that the governor had begun spending the 2019 budget that is yet to be presented to the House as demanded by the constitution and that the governor spent outside the 2018 budget without recourse to the House.