Something unexpected happened on Wednesday, November 29, when President Bola Tinubu came to the National Assembly to present the 2024 budget. Instead of focusing on the important task at hand, the lawmakers decided to sing a song pledging their loyalty to the President. This strange action has caused a lot of different reactions, with many people criticizing the lawmakers for trying to impress and flatter President Tinubu.
President Tinubu arrived at the joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives with his vice president, Kashim Shettima, and other top government officials. They were there to present the budget for the upcoming year. However, the lawmakers seemed more interested in putting on a show than discussing important matters.
After the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, finished his speech, he introduced President Tinubu and asked everyone to welcome him. But instead of clapping or cheering, the lawmakers started singing a song. They stood up and sang, “On your mandate we shall stand; on your mandate Bola, on your mandate Bola, on your mandate, we shall stand.” This surprised and confused many people, but President Tinubu seemed to enjoy the attention.
Before the singing started, the Senate President made a comparison between Nigeria and the United States. He said that Nigeria achieved in 24 years what the US achieved in 185 years of democracy. He mentioned that both countries had former senators become president and vice president. However, many people disagreed with this comparison because Nigeria’s democracy is very different from that of the US.
After all the excitement and drama, President Tinubu finally took the stage to present the budget. He called it the “Budget of Renewed Hope” and promised that it would bring stability to the economy, reduce poverty, and improve social security. He also mentioned that the budget would focus on areas like security, job creation, and human capital development.
This unusual budget presentation has sparked a lot of discussion among Nigerians. Some people think that the lawmakers were just trying to please the President, while others believe that they were being disrespectful by turning a serious event into a performance. Regardless of the different opinions, one thing is clear – this budget presentation will not be forgotten anytime soon.