One of the principal officers of the National Assembly and a four term member of the House of Representatives, representing Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency in Kaduna state, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Umar Barde has in this interview at the Kaduna correspondents’ office opened up on the controversial 2016 budget and some burning national issues.

This advocate of hard work and sincerity of purpose who has served his people in various capacities is the Minority Whip in the House of Reps. believes that the greatness of the nation lies in the joint efforts of Nigerians themselves and all the arms of governments, party affiliation notwithstanding President Buhari’s anti-corruption war, but maintains some unscrupulous ones are trying to use it to suite their selfish ends. Zainab Tanimu was there for Top Celebrities Magazine.

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Sir, could you throw light on the widely reported 2016 missing budget?

This issue of budget missing or not missing, I must say is very disturbing to the conscience of us members of the national assembly and I believe to us as Nigerians. Budget is a sacred document because it shows the way forward and what the government wants to do. Normally as a ranking member in the national assembly for the 4th time, I know when Mr. President presents a budget, it is kept in the custody of the clerk of the national assembly or the various chambers either clerk of the Senate or that of House of Representative. It is right there that it is being printed and copies are produced for members before we start deliberation on the budget. Before now, as far as I personally am concerned, most of us have not received whatever is tagged original or doctored budget. We are aware that budget was presented and we are waiting for the original copies and photo-copies to be given to members. So, if you have not been privilege to know what the original says and now somebody says it has been doctored, you would find it difficult to really say yes or no because you do not know what the original entails. This is something that has over 700 pages and if it has been doctored, it means that you have gone through it page by page and you realize that a new one that has been brought in has been changed. So for me as a member of the House of Reps., I was not privileged to see the original copy. If it has been changed now, I cannot really say. The truth is that I know budget was presented and if as it is being said by my senior colleagues in the senate that the budget was changed, you would agree with me that once it has been presented to the Senate President and presented to Mr. Speaker, they have the first hand information of what it entails before the members. Now, it has not gotten to us. I don’t know if the Senate President saw it and realized that things have been changed and that as it may, if really things were changed in the budget without formerly going through the normal process of maybe amendment or withdrawing and presenting another one, then it is very unfortunate. It means that some people are trying to joke or to play with the conscience of Nigerians because there is no way in this very sensitive time and period when Nigerians are eager to see that government give them direction, then you say that the instrument of appropriation, the instrument that would decide which project and what the government wants to do is missing. It is very unfortunate and I think that Mr. President should really look at it and investigate so that we know where the problem is coming from.

Recently, there has been war between the senate president and his members and that of House of Reps. Don’t you think it is the on-going war that is responsible for wanting to rub Mr. President what I would call the black chalk?

You see, it’s good to insinuate and also good to state facts. As far as I am concern, I would say I am privileged to have met Mr. President with the national officers of the National Assembly. The way I saw Mr. President and the Senate President exchanging pleasantries, for me I want to believe that they have settled down to do the work they are sent there to do. The issue is this, if the president later changed the budget the way it is insinuated that it has been changed by the special assistant to the president on National Assembly, Sen. Etainam. Sen. Etainam is a very experience legislator, he has been in the National Assembly for nearly 16years and I know he knows the process in the presentation of budget and if there is need to withdraw it and accent another one, he knows the way, but the issue here is; did Mr. President intends to change the budget and represent it? If he means that, then Sen. Etainam is doing the service to Mr. President but if Mr. President has not changed the budget and some people sat down somewhere and changed it; I always tell people this thing if you are in leadership position, thank God I am in the opposition, I believe the Senate President is a member of the ruling party, Mr. Speaker is a member of the ruling party the image they are creating for Nigerians, the opposition is taking on it that they are not ready. You see if the presentation of a budget would bring this rancour, it is disgraceful. It is despicable of a country that has been in democracy for over 16years. For me it is very sad. Things must be done right.

With the crisis surrounding the budget, the feeder we are getting from the National Assembly where you belong is that you are going ahead with the debate on the budget. In your own opinion do you deem it right?

As to whether the National Assembly should go ahead to debate on the budget presented? First and foremost, I think the most important thing is to ask Mr. President if what we are debating on is what he brought to the National Assembly. If it is what he brought to the National Assembly, then it means that we have original document presented by the president and the next thing to do is to go ahead and debate it. Since Mr. President has already written to the House which we are going to read at the floor of the House, if he tells us that the budget is what he presented, then there would be no reason but go ahead and do our work.

Sir, the ongoing anti corruption war, being a member of the opposition party, would you say it is selective or all encompassing?

You see; I always say this thing. This is personal, Mr. President alone cannot fight corruption. The Judiciary, the Legislature and the Executive need to join hands together. In a situation where people have offended the laws of the country and are bail able and if the court should say so, the judiciary who are the interpreter of the law, if they feel that is what the law says, I think the executive and the legislature should not interfere because that is their job. In his intention of fighting corruption I strongly feel Mr. President has a very good intention. But again, I feel that some people are overzealous on what should be done and this I think is not good. Mr. President has the right to call whichever agency that is in charge of the fight against corruption to make sure that it does the right thing. For when you are overzealous or you are vindicating, but when a person belongs to this or that party, I think this is where it becomes wrong. But I am very sure because I know President Buhari very well and I am aware of his integrity, but you cannot exclude the fact that there are people who are overzealous who feel today am in government and there is need to take my pound of flesh on certain people. Certainly, it is wrong and that is where we are getting it wrong. The rule of law must be obeyed, this is democracy. If our laws are not thick enough, then there is need for Mr. President or Nigerians or we as Legislators to make sure that our laws are such that people don’t commit crime and escape.