Tambuwal, Dogara, Udoma to Speak at Budget Colloquium

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 officials

that will dissect the budgetary process as a key interface between the

Executive and Legislative arms of Government in Nigeria.

The event is a Colloquium conceived by OrderPaper.ng, Nigeria's premier

independent parliamentary reporting portal to address contentious issues

on the Budget and will bring together several top government officials

from both arms of government to share ideas, perspectives and experiences

on the Appropriation process as provided for in the 1999 Constitution (as

amended).
The high-profile event billed to hold on September 26, 2016 in Abuja will

attract attendance and participation from critical stakeholders in the

Executive, Legislature (National and State Assemblies), Academia, Media,

Nigeria's Development Partners, Civil Society Organizations,

Community-based Organizations, Private Sector and other stakeholders,

including political operators across partisan divides.

According to Mr. Oke Epia, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of OrderPaper.ng,

“the focus on the budget at the Colloquium in September is a deliberate

attempt to address fundamental issues that have arisen on the budget

especially in recent times.
“There is need to deepen the debate about which arm of government plays

what roles in the Appropriation Process and to exactly what extent. Where

does the National Assembly's power of appropriation begins and ends? Is

the Executive vested with unquestionable powers regarding the estimates it

sends to the Legislature as annual Budgets? Or on the reverse, is the

Legislature conferred with such far-reaching powers as to be able to

substantially alter the estimates so received from Mr. President or a

State Governor? What about the disturbing lexicon of 'Padding' that has

dogged the 2016 budget like a leech? These are questions to be addressed

by a holistic gathering of Executive; Legislature; Experts in

Constitutional Law; and Civil Society actors, among others invited to

attend The Gallery Colloquium on September 26.”
It is noteworthy that Tambuwal before his ascension to the Executive

position of Sokoto State Governor, was Speaker of the House of

Representatives in the 7th Assembly and had also been a principal officer

of the lower chamber in the preceding tenure. He is expected to add a rich

comparative perspective to the Budget debate with his experience across

both arms of government.
Speaker Dogara on the other hand, being a key figure in the 2016 Budget

process that has continually been dogged by controversy, is expected to

bring his contemporary experience especially with respect to the

controversial concept of 'padding' to bear on the conversations come

September 26.
Sen. Udoma as Minister in charge of the national budget and one who has

been a Leader of the Senate and former Chairman of the Appropriation

Committee of the Upper Chamber, is expected to deliver a keynote address

that will enrich the debate on the budget.
The Colloquium, tagged 'The Gallery' is a signature programme of

OrderPaper.ng conceived to provide a platform for various stakeholders in

the democratic project to cross-fertilize ideas and proffer suggestions

and solutions on thorny issues bordering on the triumvirate of

Legislature; the Executive; and the Electorate.
The broad Objective of The Gallery is to provide a forum to smoothen rough

edges towards better inter-governmental relations and improved cooperation

for the ultimate benefit of democracy and the Nigerian nation in general.

OrderPaper.ng is Nigeria's premier multi-platform media company dedicated

to reporting, tracking and archiving activities of the legislature as an

arm of government for the digital generation. As the first authentic and

independently-driven online medium of interface between citizens and

elected representatives, its mission is to deepen democratic growth and

development. OrderPaper.ng is non-partisan, non-aligned and

non-discriminatory; and is founded on and guided by TRUTH, BALANCE,

FAIRNESS and the pursuit of EQUITY.
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