President Buhari Speaks On Missing Budget

President Muhammadu Buhari via his spokesman Malam Garba Shehu has reacted to the reports on the alleged missing 2016 national budget. 

President Buhari presenting the 2016 budget in the NASS

The Nigerian Senate was unable to begin considering the proposed budget because of missing documentation. President Buhari provided the hard copies of his first budget to both houses at the end of December.

Reacting via his Facebook page, Shehu Garba wrote: ”Enquiries about the budget: Nobody except the president can withdraw the budget. As far as we know, he hasn’t done that.

”The copies in their hundreds have been delivered to both chambers of the National Assembly.

”By tradition, once the budget is submitted, it ceases to be our property. Enquiries as to where it is, should be directed to the appropriate quarters. Best regards.”

The Senate has established a committee instructed to investigate the controversy surrounding the “missing” 2016 budget.

The committee, which was set up at a closed-door session of the Senate on January 12, will present the report on Thursday.

President Buhari presented a N6.08 trillion budget at the end of December before a joint session of the National Assembly.

In the budget, capital expenditure takes N1.8 trillion, marking a significant over 300% increment from the 2015 vote of N557 billion.