I Am Not Fighting With National Assembly - Fashola

The Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has said that he is not fighting with the National Assembly but only had a mere misunderstanding with them.

Mr Fashola told State House correspondents on Tuesday that his disagreements with the lawmakers over the ministry's budget should not be misconstrued as a personal fight but one geared towards finding the best ways to implement the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

The arguments made when the minister criticism raised the National Assembly for allegedly copying projects outside the purview of his ministry in its budget and slashing allocation for key projects such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the 2017 Appropriation Act.

"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. So, you do not fight your friends," he said The

Mr Fashola, however, admitted that there is a disagreement between him and the lawmakers.

According to him, the disagreement had to do with the Economic Recover Growth Plan launched by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He explained that although the leadership of the National Assembly expressed "huge support" for the plan, there is a disagreement over how to implement it.

"Now, there is also a disagreement, which I do not think should make us disagreeable, about the best way to implement that plan. And I think that is all that there is to it," he said.

The minister added that while the posture or manner in which both parties had approached the issue may give an impression that were were fighting, that was not the case.

"It is, maybe, possible that in the heat of the moment, while trying to canvass our different positions, we are misconstrued as fighting but I am not fighting anybody," he said.

"Where there are disagreements about which school their children should go to, how much to pay for education, how there are disagreements Much to spend on food. That does not mean they come out for the divorce courts.

Stressing that the lawmakers also represent him as a citizen and his role is to engage them for the growth of the country, Mr Fashola said, "This is the issue really. So, even if I have been misunderstood, my intention is not to quarrel With anybody but to see a better Nigeria, which I am sure they also want to see.