The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has urged the National Assembly to fulfill its promise to pass the 2016 Budget on March 17.

The party’s National Chairman, Dr Victor Oye, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, in Awka.

Oye expressed the hope that the time spent to deliberate on the 2016 budget will be worthwhile in view of the current economic downturn.

“Why I wouldn’t want to judge the government so fast is because the budget is yet to be passed.

“And I think the National Assembly is doing a good job on that; and they have given a promise that by 17th of March, the budget will be passed.

“That is three months into the year; and that means the first quarter would have gone, and we will be working behind schedule.

“So, I think the economy as it is now is in comatose.

“Getting the right track to manage the economy is something, so I think the time the president took to select his team was worth the while.

“Now working on the budget to get the best out of it is also good we should take our time to get the best.

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“This administration is barely one year in office, so by the time it runs its full budget for one year, then we begin to rate the government appropriately.

“For now, we should give the government the benefit of the doubt, believing that the magic is contained in the budget.’’

The APGA chief lauded the Buhari administration’s tolerance of the opposition, saying: “Nobody has harassed us; we speak out our mind and operate as an opposition party unhindered’’.

“I can only speak for my party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

“In our party, I think nobody has harassed us; we speak out (our mind and operate as an opposition party unhindered.

“But the only sour taste we had, of recent, was the arrest of our former national chairman.

“Our people felt humiliated by that action, it didn’t portray this country as a democratically stable country.’’

Source: NAN