Fashola Finally Bow to NASS

Babatunde Fashola Speaking to NASS Committee

Recall that there was a disagreement between the three-in-one minister, Honorable Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola and the National Assembly over the amendment of 2017 budget that allegedly affects his ministries.

The disagreement transformed to confrontations, accusations and counter accusations between the two arms of government that led to unwarranted arguments and jibes on social media that also warranted the Senate to release a 3page statement.

However, peace and agreement was restored Friday 28 July, 2017 when the minister appeared before the national assembly joint technical committee on budget reconciliation at the NASS committee room.

The minister said he was only trying to stand for his ministries where necessary by getting back his budget in order to deliver what will benefit Nigerians as expected and that he does not intent to rubbish the NASS or incite them against the public.

Fashola apologised, he said "If you were angry with my comments, I am sorry and I apologise 100%. I am only interested in getting my budget back. Once more I am sorry." 

"I have no intention to rubbish the NASS, The public heard my comments and they have not attacked you, so I have no intention of incitement." he added.

His apology was accepted by the committee and they commended him as a devoted minister and an absolute gentleman.

"We have accepted your apologies and your budget as from today is restored. You are a complete gentleman." NASS Joint Technical Committee on Budget Reconciliation replied.


Now that the conflict has been resolved, Nigerians are eagerly waiting as usual for the busy minister in solving the nation's power failure problem, build adequate and affordable houses and fix the country's roads in which Apapa Lagos is a priority.

Breakdown of Passed 2017 Budget

The 2017 Appropriations Bill proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari in December last year, has been passed by the National Assembly, on Thursday, 11th May, 2017.

The National Assembly has passed the 2017 Appropriations Bill, raising the budget from N7.28 billion earlier proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari in December last year, to N7.44 trillion.

The Appropriations Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives separately presented their harmonised reports of the budget for consideration and subsequent passage on Thursday.

According to the report,

1. N434.4 billion was appropriated for statutory transfers to the National Judicial Council (N100 billion);

2. Niger Delta Development Commission (N64.02 billion)

3. Universal Basic Education (N95.2 billion);

4. National Assembly (N125 billion);

5. Public Complaints Commission (N4 billion)

6. INEC (N45 billion)

7. National Human Rights Commission (N1.2 billion).

The seven establishments are to get allocations on first line charge. In practice, the spending details of these offices are not made public.

Here’s a full breakdown of the budget we culled from Nigerian Senate Twitter handle @NGRSenate;


2017 Budget Breakdown:

Debt Service (Local & Foreign): N1,663,885,430,499.

Sinking Fund: N177,460,296,707

Total Debt Service: N1,849,345,727,206.

Recurrent Non-debt expenditure: N2,086,176,493,860

Federal Executive Bodies: N1,413,441,659.90

Service wide Votes & Pension: N191,631,846,958

Total Pensions: N191,631,846,956.

Other service wide votes: N138,700,000,000

Reforms to Special Acts: N40,000,000,000

Special Intervention recurrent (Heads):N350,000,000,000

Presidential Amnesty Programme Stipends: N766,700,000,000

Total Recurrent: N987,550,033,000

Capital Expenditure: N1,710,580,601,619

Head of sub-total Federal Executive Bodies: N7,248,944,788

Head of Federal Executive Bodies: N1,717,829,446,407

Capital Supplementation: N7,441,175,486,755.