Jimi Agbaje Tears Ambode Apart, Says He Can’t Even Submit Budget The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Jimi Agbaje, has criticised Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for the delay in the presentation of the 2019 budget, reports Punch Newspaper. Agbaje, who said he was not surprised by the development, noted that Lagos residents were bearing the brunt of the “breakdown of democracy” in the ruling All Progressives Congress. He added that he did not expect any further governance in the state until after May 2019 when a new government would be constituted. “It is not surprising. I do not expect governance until after May 2019. “The governor has become a lame duck. We hear that approvals are now given in other quarters. When democracy collapses in a ruling party, the people bear the brunt,” the PDP Lagos candidate was quoted as saying by Punch Newspaper. For the past 10 years, the Lagos State Government had a culture of budget presentation before the fiscal year. The 2018 budget of N1.4trn, for instance, which was the largest ever in the history of the state, was presented by Ambode on December 11, 2017. The 2017 budget of N813bn was also presented by the governor on November 29, 2016. The 2016 budget of N662bn was presented on December 17, 2015. The governor’s predecessor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, now Minister for Power, Works and Housing, presented the 2015 budget of N489.69bn on November 24, 2014. He presented the 2014 budget of N489.69 in October 2013. The 2013 budget of N497.277bn was also presented by Fashola in October 2012. The former governor presented the 2012 budget estimate of N485bn on November 14, 2011. The year 2011 budget of N445bn was presented in December 2010. The 2010 budget of N429bn was presented by Fashola in November 2009. In reaction, a government source claimed that “a lot of forces outside government” were “influencing things” in Alausa. The source said, “There is a lot of interference with the affairs of government. A large part of the running of government is being done outside, and that is why a lot of things are not working. “Governor Ambode is struggling to stabilise himself. The man is surrounded, so he is managing contending forces and conflicting interests, and part of the fallout is the delay in the budget. “It is unusual and unprecedented that the budget is not out by now. But I believe in a matter of time, it will be resolved and sorted out. But it is a pointer to what is going on.” The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Abib Haruna, did not pick his calls and had yet to respond to a text message from our correspondent. The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, could not be reached on his telephone line. Contact Editor using editor@skytrendnews.com or call direct 0808 360 9209. READ ALSO! More Nigerians Becoming Extremely Poor, 40% Of World’s Poorest To Live There And Congo By 2050 READ ALSO! More Nigerians Now Living In Extreme Poverty — International Labour Congress READ ALSO! 10million More Nigerians Have Been Lifted From Poverty Under Buhari — Presidency Says READ ALSO! Buhari Reacts To Boko Haram’s Threat To Kill Leah Sharibu READ ALSO! More Nigerians Getting Killed, Getting Poorer, Hungrier Under Buhari’s Incompetent Regime — PDP READ ALSO! More Nigerians Have Been Murdered In Attacks Since January More Than Entire 2017 — Amnesty International READ ALSO! 10million More Nigerians Have Been Lifted From Poverty Under Buhari — Presidency Says READ ALSO! More Nigerians Travelling Out Due To Economic Hardship, Over 500,000 Since 2016 READ ALSO! The Smart CEO: Top 5 Websites To Get Cheap Domain Name Registration READ ALSO! More Nigerians In Kano, Katsina Now Using Hard Drugs — Group Says READ ALSO! More Nigerians Dying Hourly From Tuberculosis, 18 Every Hour — WHO READ ALSO! Between GoDaddy And Namecheap: Making The Best Choice For Domain Name Registrar READ ALSO! Nigeria Couples: Now You Can Know If Your Partner Is Cheating On You; SEE 11 SURE Ways]]>