Budget 2016 ‘missing’ from national assembly

The 2016 budget presented to the national assembly on December 22, 2015 by President Muhammadu buhari is currently not with the federal legislature, TheCable can report.

A top official of the national assembly, who did not want to be named, told TheCable that the “missing budget” was the crux of the discussion at Tuesday’s executive session of the senate, which lasted more than an hour.

“The truth is there is no 2016 budget at the national assembly at present,” he said.

“When a package supposedly containing the budget was laid by the president last year, the national assembly received it but did not open it. This was done in the hope of presenting the raw copy of the budget before members after the Christmas break. But we cannot find it.

“The Senate President Bukola Saraki is heading for the presidential villa to discuss the issue with the president. It is out of respect for the executive that the legislature is managing the situation.

“Although, some contents of the budget have been published in the newspapers, the national assembly officially has no copy.”

In the N6trn budget presented by Buhari to the national assembly, N1.8trn was earmarked for capital expenditure and N2.8trn for recurrent expenditure (non-debt).

The president had also announced the infusion of social welfare programmes in the budget.

TheCable understands that the senate president will be at the presidential villa to sort out issues relating to the missing budget with Buhari.