Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, says he has no problem with the National Assembly, despite disagreeing with federal lawmakers in some areas of the 2017 budget.
The Minister and the National Assembly have been in a face-off over the budget of his ministry which he said the lawmakers had tempered with.
The lawmakers reacted bitterly to the accusation and summoned the minister to appear before them.
Speaking to State House Correspondents on the sidelines of the Presidential Quarterly Business Forum, Fashola insisted that his intention was not to quarrel anybody but to see a better Nigeria.
”There is no problem between me, as an individual, and the National Assembly. And, let me make that very clear, many of the senators and honourable members are my personal friends, and so you don’t fight your friends.
”My intention was not to quarrel with anybody but to see a better Nigerian which I believe they also want to see,” Fashola said.
The minister, however, stressed that the disagreement that exist between him and the lawmakers is a healthy one and is for the development of the country.
”A disagreement yes, a very healthy disagreement. Don’t forget we are not disagreeing on who should head what, who should take what share of the national cake, but we are disagreeing on how to develop Nigeria.
”And for me, that is a very healthy development of our democracy.
”I’m sure with the leadership of the National Assembly- Senate President, speaker of the House of Representatives, the principal officers and the Acting President, we will resolve this in the ultimate interest of the Nigerian people,” he added.
