After Controversy, Senate Sends 2017 Budget to Acting President for Assent

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Friday, May 19th, 2017

By Niyi Adeyi

ABUJA, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Exactly a week after passing it, the Senate has finally transmitted the official copy of the 2017 Appropriation Bill to the Executive for the Presidential assent.

Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President Prof Yemi Osinbajo Mr. Laolu Akande confirmed this in a tweet via @akandeoj Friday.

Akande said: ”2017 Budget -Appropriations bill now officially received in the Acting President’s office & undergoing very prompt & diligent consideration”.

The year’s proposed budget of N7,441, 175, 486, 758.which was passed last Thursday by the Senate has since remained a subject of controversy.

After the upper legislative chamber pledged that it would soon transmit the copy to the Executive, Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Wednesday confirmed that the Presidency is yet to formally receive the Bill, yet he added that an advance copy has been sent to the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma who he explained would re-transmit the respective copies to each Ministries for scrutiny in case of any discrepancy; subsequent correction and harmonization.

Another outcry about the Budget is about who between President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Acting President Osinbajo will assent the Bill into law.

Information Minister Wednesday, at a press briefing said after the weekly FEC meeting that the decision of assent would be made when it is time for that.

The Minister also denied on Thursday for being quoted to have said the FG did not know who would assent the Bill into law.

As the controversy raged, the Ag President himself came out clearly and declared he would assent the 2017 Appropriation Bill after ensuring that what was sent to the National Assembly is exactly what was returned for the Executive assent.