2018 BUDGET: FG fails to meet up with October deadline

Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday night said that the National Assembly is ready and waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari to present the 2018 Appropriation Bill to it for consideration.

This is coming as the Federal Government has apparently failed to fulfill its boast that it was going to present the 2018 budget to the lawmakers by the end of October for consideration.

The Federal Government had at different times within the year, promised and insisted that it was going to present the 2018 budget to the National Assembly by October.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), had however after its weekly meeting last Thursday, during which time it approved the 2018 budget proposal, said that the council will soon be meeting with the National Assembly to decide when it will be submitted to the two chambers for consideration.

The Minister of Budget and Planning, Mr. Udo Udoma, who refused to give details of the budget proposal, had noted that the nation’s constitution stipulates that only the president gives out the details. He added that the President is going to do that when the National Assembly is prepared to obtain the draft.

But speaking to State House correspondents after the dinner of the leadership of the National Assembly with the Presidency at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday night, Saraki said that the question of when Buhari will be presenting the budget to the national lawmakers “should be directed to the executive, we receive them whenever they are ready,” he said.

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On the reason the lawmakers were invited for dinner by the president, Saraki said, “Mr. President invited us for dinner as you know since he came back we have not had the opportunity to meet with him.

“He has met with different stakeholders, this is the first meeting since returning to the country with the leadership of the National Assembly. So the meeting is to welcome him and we are all grateful that he has come back and we are happy and we assured him that we will continue to cooperate with the executive and also to acknowledge the role we played while he was away.

“He thanked all the members for the patriotic approach they took on the period of his absence.”

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