Fresh uncertainty over 2016 Budget
ABUJA—Another cloud of uncertainty is
hanging over the 2016 Budget estimates
approved by the National Assembly last
Thursday as the Appropriation Bill may not be
signed into law for full implementation any
time soon.
Instead, there may ensue a showdown
between the Presidency and the National
Assembly on the budget.
Investigations by Vanguard had revealed that
the lawmakers may have played a fast one on
the Presidency by transmitting only the
highlights of the budget and kept the details in
their custody.
Release of the budget highlights without
details makes it difficult for President
Muhammadu Buhari to know what
adjustments were made by the lawmakers.
To this end, it was learned that the President
and his ministers, who investigations revealed,
were eager to sign and begin implementation,
are now boxed into a corner.
Investigations further revealed the Budget
Office, which also needs the details to work
with, is handicapped at the moment.
This gives an impression that it was either the
budget was not well tidied up or that by
approving the estimates three months after it
was laid, the National Assembly had left itself
off the worry of Nigerians and now passed the
buck to the President, who is not likely to sign
the bill into law until the details were made
available to him.
Face-off looms
Vanguard gathered that the development was
fast prompting a face-off and crisis of
confidence between the Presidency and
National Assembly which may delay the
passage of the budget to the detriment of
Nigerians.
Efforts to contact spokesmen of the President,
Messrs Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, for
confirmation last night proved abortive as
they could not be reached on phone. Text
messages sent to their mobile phones were
also unreplied.
However, a member of the Senate Committee
on Appropriation, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim (APC,
Kwara South), said yesterday that full details
of the passed 2016 Appropriation Bill were
with President Muhammadu Buhari for
assent.
In a text message to Vanguard last night,
Senator Ibrahim who is also Chairman, Senate
Committee on Banking, Insurance and other
Financial Institutions, said the bill was at the
moment going through a process.
His words: “There is nothing like the President
refusing assent to the Appropriation Bill. We
worked closely with the executive in passing
the bill. We are aware it is going through the
normal process before the President assents.
“If anybody tells you that the President
refuses to assent, let the person tell you the
reason. The Appropriation Bill is already with
the Executive with full details.”
Slashed budget
It will be recalled that the National Assembly,
upon the passage of the budget, slashed the
estimate from the original N6.08 trillion to
N6.06 trillion.
However, while presenting the report on the
budget at the plenary for consideration in the
Senate, Chairman, Senate Committee on
Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje, had
noted that the budget was filled with
controversies, and many lapses.
He added that if the Senate had insisted on
clearing up the lapses, the committee would
not have been able to meet up with the
deadline of submission.
The Senate said its approval of the 2016 fiscal
document was due to its satisfaction that the
country would benefit if it was passed into
law.
He had said: “This budget is full of
controversies and we did not want to have
more controversies or else it won’t have been
presented today and the National Assembly
would be blamed. The people would not
understand it because people are even saying
that we are playing politics.
“This budget exercise was a follow-up
negotiation, going forward and back. When
the budget was presented as attested by
many committees, there were strategies
discovered that couldn’t close the personnel
cost in various committees and these were
highlighted by various committees and the
total amount involved was presented to the
executive during our interaction with the
budget office.
“We presented that these are the shortfalls
from personnel and other overhead cost
which we believe should be taken care of. So,
because this budget is full of controversies, we
didn’t want to add more controversies and if
we added more controversy, the report
wouldn’t have been submitted today and the
National Assembly would be blamed for
delaying this budget. That is why we did
everything possible to ensure that we beat the
deadline in bringing it today.’’
But members of the House of
Representatives, yesterday, shared divergent
views on the President’s alleged refusal to sign
the 2016 Appropriation Bill sent by the
National Assembly last week.
While some of the lawmakers argued that it
was not possible to send an empty budget
proposal to the President, others argued that
though they had not been fully briefed on the
issue, that if it was true, then the President
was right.
It's mere speculation
—Minority
Leader, Leo Ogor
Ogor, who represents Isoko Federal
Constituency in his reaction, said it was
virtually impossible to send the Appropriation
Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari without
details, noting that it was contrary to the
convention of the National Assembly.
He said: “I want to believe that it is mere
speculation that we sent such a sensitive bill
to Mr. President without the necessary details.
“What we sent was a detailed budget that will
make the President congratulate us for a job
well done and that it is not possible for us to
do such a thing, such an action is contrary to
Section 59 of the 1999 Constitution as
amended and is against our convention.”
The President is right if it is true—
Emmanuel Ekon, PDP, Akwa Ibo m
Ekon in his contribution simply said “though
I’ve not been fully briefed but if it is true that
what we sent does not have details, then to an
extent the President is right”.
Deputy Chairman, House Committee on
Finance, Austin Chukwukere when contacted
on his mobile phone, said he did not have any
knowledge of such.
Chukwukere, who represents Ideato Federal
Constituency of Imo State on the platform of
the APC said: “I can’t react to this because I
don’t have any information about it, it is only
when I have the information that I will be able
to react to it.”
Also reacting to this, Anayo Nwonu (PDP,
Ebonyi) said: “The point there is that the
National Assembly budget is very transparent.
If he says he will not give his assent until the
National Assembly gives a break down of its
budget, it is democracy, every thing should be
open to Nigerians. It is the duty of the
leadership to provide the information. The
leadership is transparent and is ready to do
that.”
hanging over the 2016 Budget estimates
approved by the National Assembly last
Thursday as the Appropriation Bill may not be
signed into law for full implementation any
time soon.
Instead, there may ensue a showdown
between the Presidency and the National
Assembly on the budget.
Investigations by Vanguard had revealed that
the lawmakers may have played a fast one on
the Presidency by transmitting only the
highlights of the budget and kept the details in
their custody.
Release of the budget highlights without
details makes it difficult for President
Muhammadu Buhari to know what
adjustments were made by the lawmakers.
To this end, it was learned that the President
and his ministers, who investigations revealed,
were eager to sign and begin implementation,
are now boxed into a corner.
Investigations further revealed the Budget
Office, which also needs the details to work
with, is handicapped at the moment.
This gives an impression that it was either the
budget was not well tidied up or that by
approving the estimates three months after it
was laid, the National Assembly had left itself
off the worry of Nigerians and now passed the
buck to the President, who is not likely to sign
the bill into law until the details were made
available to him.
Face-off looms
Vanguard gathered that the development was
fast prompting a face-off and crisis of
confidence between the Presidency and
National Assembly which may delay the
passage of the budget to the detriment of
Nigerians.
Efforts to contact spokesmen of the President,
Messrs Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, for
confirmation last night proved abortive as
they could not be reached on phone. Text
messages sent to their mobile phones were
also unreplied.
However, a member of the Senate Committee
on Appropriation, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim (APC,
Kwara South), said yesterday that full details
of the passed 2016 Appropriation Bill were
with President Muhammadu Buhari for
assent.
In a text message to Vanguard last night,
Senator Ibrahim who is also Chairman, Senate
Committee on Banking, Insurance and other
Financial Institutions, said the bill was at the
moment going through a process.
His words: “There is nothing like the President
refusing assent to the Appropriation Bill. We
worked closely with the executive in passing
the bill. We are aware it is going through the
normal process before the President assents.
“If anybody tells you that the President
refuses to assent, let the person tell you the
reason. The Appropriation Bill is already with
the Executive with full details.”
Slashed budget
It will be recalled that the National Assembly,
upon the passage of the budget, slashed the
estimate from the original N6.08 trillion to
N6.06 trillion.
However, while presenting the report on the
budget at the plenary for consideration in the
Senate, Chairman, Senate Committee on
Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje, had
noted that the budget was filled with
controversies, and many lapses.
He added that if the Senate had insisted on
clearing up the lapses, the committee would
not have been able to meet up with the
deadline of submission.
The Senate said its approval of the 2016 fiscal
document was due to its satisfaction that the
country would benefit if it was passed into
law.
He had said: “This budget is full of
controversies and we did not want to have
more controversies or else it won’t have been
presented today and the National Assembly
would be blamed. The people would not
understand it because people are even saying
that we are playing politics.
“This budget exercise was a follow-up
negotiation, going forward and back. When
the budget was presented as attested by
many committees, there were strategies
discovered that couldn’t close the personnel
cost in various committees and these were
highlighted by various committees and the
total amount involved was presented to the
executive during our interaction with the
budget office.
“We presented that these are the shortfalls
from personnel and other overhead cost
which we believe should be taken care of. So,
because this budget is full of controversies, we
didn’t want to add more controversies and if
we added more controversy, the report
wouldn’t have been submitted today and the
National Assembly would be blamed for
delaying this budget. That is why we did
everything possible to ensure that we beat the
deadline in bringing it today.’’
But members of the House of
Representatives, yesterday, shared divergent
views on the President’s alleged refusal to sign
the 2016 Appropriation Bill sent by the
National Assembly last week.
While some of the lawmakers argued that it
was not possible to send an empty budget
proposal to the President, others argued that
though they had not been fully briefed on the
issue, that if it was true, then the President
was right.
It's mere speculation
—Minority
Leader, Leo Ogor
Ogor, who represents Isoko Federal
Constituency in his reaction, said it was
virtually impossible to send the Appropriation
Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari without
details, noting that it was contrary to the
convention of the National Assembly.
He said: “I want to believe that it is mere
speculation that we sent such a sensitive bill
to Mr. President without the necessary details.
“What we sent was a detailed budget that will
make the President congratulate us for a job
well done and that it is not possible for us to
do such a thing, such an action is contrary to
Section 59 of the 1999 Constitution as
amended and is against our convention.”
The President is right if it is true—
Emmanuel Ekon, PDP, Akwa Ibo m
Ekon in his contribution simply said “though
I’ve not been fully briefed but if it is true that
what we sent does not have details, then to an
extent the President is right”.
Deputy Chairman, House Committee on
Finance, Austin Chukwukere when contacted
on his mobile phone, said he did not have any
knowledge of such.
Chukwukere, who represents Ideato Federal
Constituency of Imo State on the platform of
the APC said: “I can’t react to this because I
don’t have any information about it, it is only
when I have the information that I will be able
to react to it.”
Also reacting to this, Anayo Nwonu (PDP,
Ebonyi) said: “The point there is that the
National Assembly budget is very transparent.
If he says he will not give his assent until the
National Assembly gives a break down of its
budget, it is democracy, every thing should be
open to Nigerians. It is the duty of the
leadership to provide the information. The
leadership is transparent and is ready to do
that.”
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