#Budget2019: Lawmakers Prevent Saraki, Dogara From Giving Speeches

President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 budget presentation ended abruptly after the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, was prevented from giving his closing remarks.

Dogara could not give his speech because the Parliament was rowdy. Before it got to Dogara’s turn to speak, some lawmakers had already booed and cheered the president while he gave his speech.

Some of them even displayed placards during the president’s presentation.

The action of the lawmakers made President Buhari pause at different intervals even as he pleaded with them to comport themselves as they were on “international television”.

Reacting in a statement issued by its spokesman, Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC said the act was “shameful.”

According to protocol, Dogara was meant to give his closing remarks after Buhari’s speech then the joint session will be adjourned indefinitely by Senate President Bukola Saraki.

But the speaker of the House was unable to speak because the lawmakers were out of control.

The lawmakers began to sing the national anthem to signal the end of the joint session after the disorderliness continued unabated.

After the anthem was sung, Buhari, ministers and the lawmakers began to leave the lower legislative chamber.

Dogara was not the only one who did not read his prepared speech.

At the beginning of the joint session, the Senate President only gave informal remarks before Buhari addressed the lawmakers.