Buhari receives details of 2016 budget

President Muhammadu Buhari had finally received details of the 2016 appropriation bill from the National Assembly.

The document was delivered to the Presidential Villa by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang (Senate) and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (House of Representatives) Samaila Kawu, at about 12:05pm, Thursday.

The document was received by the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari who signed on behalf of the President in his office. The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma, was also present to receive the document. After signing, they had proceeded to show the document to the President and later returned it to the office of the Chief of Staff, where he is expected to delegate to the different ministries for review.

Approached by journalists, after showing the document to the President, Enang confirmed that the document has finally been transmitted.
“We have transmitted it to the office of the President and the constitutional process of timing starts” he said.

The 2016 budget which was submitted by the President on the 22 December 2015 was finally approved by the National Assembly on the 23rd of March. However, only highlights were transmitted to the President.

Buhari had also said he would not sign the budget in a hurry, but would
critically review the document before assenting to it.

“Some bureaucrats removed what we put in the proposal and replaced it with what they wanted,”Buhari said adding “I have to look at the bill that has been passed by the National Assembly, ministry by ministry, to be sure that what has been brought back for me to sign is in line with our original submission.”