The federal government Wednesday described the directive by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that its members in the National Assembly should prevent all executive bills, including the 2014 budget as undemocratic, anti-people and anti- development..
The APC, LEADERSHIP recalls, had last Thursday directed its members in the National Assembly to stop the confirmation of the appointments of ministerial nominees and military chiefs, as well as the passage of the 2014 budget pending when the Presidency decides to address the crisis in Rivers State.
But Information Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku, who made government’s position known while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan observed that the said directive, if allowed to be carried out by the APC lawmakers, would cripple the nation’s democracy, as well as endanger the lives of innocent Nigerians.
According to Maku, the said directive was not only a ploy to stop the nation’s economy, but also aimed at truncating national development, even as he added that while partisanship was healthy for democracy, it should not be taken over and above national interest.
The minister said, “If you say that the budget should not be passed, it means you want to stop the nation’s economy. It also means that you want to ensure that traders who depend on the budget, farmers who depend on the budget, citizens who depend on the budget, teachers who depend on the budget, to go to hell or that you are endangering their survival because of partisanship.
“I believe that this kind of directive or position is anti-national interest, it is anti-development and it is not something anybody who loves this country and who is a democrat should encourage. We believe that the evolution of opposition parties is good for the nation. We want competition so that everybody will perform better. We may be standing on different platforms but we are all working for Nigerians. We are not enemies. We should not at any point begin to heat up polity, begin to truncate the development of ordinary Nigerians.
“When you say they should block bills which are for the development of the country and the well-being of the people, you are killing democracy itself and you are truncating national development. I believe that was a mistake, it must have been one of those slips of tongue. This democracy should be supported. If this nation progresses, it does not belong to Goodluck Jonathan alone or any party,” he said.
Source: Leadership
