2016 BUDGET: Non Release of Details May Delay President’s Assent

PRESIDENT Mohammadu Buhari will not sign the 2016 Appropriation Budget which was passed last week following the non-release of the details of the budget to enable the federal government know the areas the lawmakers modified to arrive at the passed figure of N6.06tn.

 

Buhari had proposed a budget of N6.07tn to the National Assembly but were trimmed down with a difference of about N17b without details on the adjustments.

An official who spoke to the media in Abuja under the condition of anonymity disclosed that the President is eager to have the budget assented to so that all the ministries will commence implementations. However, the non release of the adjustment details will keep the budget pending when the NASS transmits the adjustment details to the President.

The anonymous official added that President Buhari believes so much on transparency and accountability and therefore cannot sign a budget without knowing the details to ensure that his administration complies in totality to the details of the budget.    

Another source who reportedly spoke maintained the tempo saying that non release of the details coupled with Senate’s Easter break will delay the signing of the budget.

“The President has just received the transmission of the Appropriation Bill (2016) from the National Assembly and is very anxious to sign it into law, but the National Assembly only sent in the highlights without the details of the budget.

“Although he is anxious to sign the document so that implementation of the provisions could start immediately and ease the tension in the economy and polity, he is afraid he may later discover, when the details are sent, that what is contained therein is not implementable.

“He wishes that the National Assembly could send the details speedily so that it could be considered for assent. Ministers are also eager that the budget be signed so they could start implementing their programmes, but they are unable to push the President to sign what has been transmitted because they also do not know what is contained in the details.

“They are particularly worried that the year is gradually aging and the provision of the law in respect of spending the previous year’s budget is not helping matters because of the low capital provision for 2015.

“Because of the low provision made last year for capital expenditure, spending 50 per cent of that provision for the first half of this year will make no impact on the provision of infrastructure”, he said.