“We are not pleased with approving loans for you any longer”— Lawan tells Buhari

 “We are not pleased with approving loans for you any longer”— Lawan tells Buhari

Senate President Ahmed Lawan has said it is time for the Buhari government to begin creating wealth instead of relying too much on borrowing.

Lawan who made the call on Monday at the Presidential, Villa Abuja, while interacting with State House correspondents after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari, said both the state and federal government need to work on ways to improve their revenue base.

Lawan also said federal, State, and local governments must block revenue leakages, and swiftly find lasting solutions to the menace of agencies that were not remitting revenues to the treasuries.

He said: “We also had discussions on some other governance issues that have to do with making the revenues in the country, especially for government at the federal and the state levels, and even local governments even more.

“There are so many agencies of government that are not remitting their internally generated revenues and this is something that we have to address and address as stiffly as possible and as quickly as possible because we need to find a way of reducing the borrowing that we do.

“So, if there are areas that we can now get revenues that will help us reduce the amount of borrowing, then so be it and this is something that we all agree with Mr. President that we should continue to look at those areas that we need to improve on revenue generation and collection.”

A former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, Dr Timothy Golu, has described Lawan and Femi as ‘lame ducks’, who shamelessly became rubber stamps for the Buhari Presidency.

On his assessment of the current assembly, he said, “I am disappointed with the present leadership of the National Assembly.

“Leadership is like a driver. If the driver doesn’t take you to your destination you cannot do what you want to do. The leadership of the legislature is a rubber stamp and that has dampened the morale of the legislators that are ready to do the work.

“Most members of the present National Assembly are patriotic, full of energy and ready to do the work, but the leadership has demoralised their spirit. The leadership of the legislature is not active. Because they were imposed on the nation, they can’t respect the principle of separation of powers and checks and balances. The executive has muzzled the legislature.

“Both the Senate President and the Speaker have become rubber stamps. I am disappointed in both of them. They are the longest-serving legislators in the country and yet nothing to show.

“They were vibrant in their days as opposition leaders in the assembly, but are now more interested in keeping their political relevance and offices than standing for the interest of the nation.”