AGAIN!!!....This marks the third time the 2016 budget as being declined by the President of Nigeria. According to report, the 2016 budget after it's second amendment and forwarded to the President as due, was said to have picked up errors again and had to be returned to the National Assembly for another set of legislative work. The budget which was said to have reached President Muhammadu Buhari as early as about 1.15 a.m yesterday as soon as it was done collated by some principal officers of the House of Assembly and soon the President attended to it and to the result, he was still not comfortable with some figures indicated.
It is not in President Muhammadu Buhari's interest not to sign up the budget soonest as he also knows the hardship Nigerians have being going through but to clean up all the messes before signing up is what he is majorly after and it's all for the better. But come to think of it still, if all this keeps going on when would the budget get signed, as we know that our leaders are known for their aiding and abetting acts and embezzlement nevertheless we just hope and pray that this gets done with soonest.
. “You know the lawmakers had moved some allocations for key projects that are dear to the President to other areas, especially to their constituency projects. “Of course, they have changed some but I believe Mr. President is not satisfied with the reconciliation they made. I think this is one of the reasons it was returned.” He also disclosed that the President would assent to the budget today should the lawmakers make all the corrections and transmit the document to him tonight (last night). He said: “I can assure you, Mr. President is desirous to sign the budget because he is aware and has acknowledged that Nigerians are going through hardship. So, if the budget is cleaned up this night and sent to him, he will sign it as soon as possible. That I know very well.” Further probe into the matter revealed that the N500 million diversion of funds to constituency projects is “what is giving the president headache.” A lawmaker, who is not a member of the review committee but a member of the standing committee on appropriation, told Vanguard in confidence that the “President wants a situation where the insertions should be reduced to about N50 million before he will sign the budget.” The reviewed copy, which was sent yesterday morning did not cut substantially from the N500 million. At press time, the review committee meeting was still ongoing as the members struggled to ensure that all the observations of the President are put in order before presentation.