President Buhari Receives ‘Corrected’ 2016 Budget From NASS

The corrected version of the 2016 budget was finally handed over to the Presidency yesterday through the Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters Senate (Senator), Ita Enang.

This was disclosed by the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Jonathan Gaza, while briefing journalists at the assembly complex though he did not give details on the transmission to the Presidency.

"It is the same media that has kept the whole country abreast. Don't forget that we are equally Nigerians and it is our desire for the country to move forward.

"A committee was set up, which was in the papers and was headed by the deputy speaker. Members from the Senate as well as the executive arm looked at the budget and I believe the resolutions have been transmitted or rather the resolutions have been submitted to the President," he said.

"I am quite optimistic and I enjoin all other Nigerians, including yourselves, to be as optimistic as me that in the very near future, this budget will be signed into law."

Speaking on when the budget was submitted and whether it was an amendment that was submitted, the House Deputy spokesman said:

"Well, I honestly believe that we have to be quite careful with our choice of words. "Over time, there have been differences and both arms of government had sat down to look at what those issues are. Most importantly, what we want is to see our country and our economy moving forward."

Senator Ita Enang is believed to have collected the budget from the 10-man committee of the National Assembly, headed by the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun.

Yusuf Lasun who was scheduled to hand over the corrected version of the 2016 budget in the presence of journalists cancelled this option and opted for a quiet submission.

Recall that the Speaker of the House, Senator Bukola Saraki shut down the senate yesterday for a week, adjourning plenary session till Thursday May 12 to enable members of the Peoples Democratic Party to attend to the party's national congress. This development would have caused further delay to the 2016 budget already long overdue.