President Muhammadu Buhari has withheld assent to the 2016 Budget following discrepancies noticed in the clean copy submitted to his office on Thursday by the National Assembly, News Express can report this morning.
A well-placed
Presidency source told News
Express on Saturday evening: “The President had indicated that
he will review details of the 2016 Budget Ministry by Ministry when it is
received from the National Assembly to ensure that what is passed is in line with
his strategic agenda for the country
The National
Assembly transmitted the details to the President on Thursday, April 7, 2016
and because he was desirous of giving assent to the Appropriation Bill before
leaving for China, he directed that the Ministers should review the
provisions/appropriations of their respective ministry to fast-track the
process.”
The source
disclosed that Buhari could not sign the budget before today’s trip to China
because during Friday’s emergency cabinet meeting presided over by the Vice
President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who is the Head of the Economic Team, “it was
noticed that some very key aspects of the Budget, which have to do with
government’s core infrastructural focus were removed.”
Giving details
of the areas of disagreement, the source said: “One of which is the subject of
the President’s trip to China – the Coastal Railway project – for which a
counterpart funding of N60bn was provided, but which was completely removed by
the National Assembly. The Executive is working on two major rail arteries,
among other rail projects, to service the northern and eastern part of the
country – the Lagos-Kano line and the Calabar – Lagos line. While the
Lagos-Kano provision was left untouched, the Calabar – Lagos line was removed.
The projects are to be funded jointly between the governments of China and
Nigeria. It is one of the main reasons for the President’s scheduled trip to
China.
“Also, the
amount proposed for the completion of the Idu-Kaduna rail project which has
reached an advanced stage was reduced by N8.7bn, a development which will make
it difficult for the project to be completed.
“The other
fundamental area noticed was in respect of completion of on-going road
projects. While the Executive had provided for the completion of all major road
projects across the country, the National Assembly reduced the amounts provided
and instead included new roads which studies have not even been conducted. The
amounts provided by the National Assembly for the projects can neither complete
the on-going road projects nor the new ones proposed. At the end of the year no
significant progress would have been made.
“The other is
in the health sector. Proposals made for the purchase of essential drugs for
major health campaigns like Polio and AIDs for which the store is fast
depleting were removed and the amounts allocated to provision of ambulance,
which the Ministry did not ask for.
It was also
observed that certain provisions made in the areas of Agriculture and Water
Resources to further the Federal Government’s diversification project where
either removed or reduced while the funds were moved to provision of rural
health facilities and boreholes, for which provisions have been made
elsewhere.”
According to
the Presidency source, “Because of these observations, the President is
engaging further with the leadership of the National Assembly to resolve them
and hopes that it would be resolved for his assent by the time he returns from
his trip to China.
“The President
is desirous of signing the bill into law so that implementation of the
provisions could begin in earnest for the benefit of the people. That is why
the moment he received the document on Thursday, a meeting was convened for
Friday to immediately start work on it.”
Source News Express
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