The National Assembly has assured that it would resolve gray areas in the 2016 budget and transmit same to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent within one week.
This is even as the two legislative chambers clarified that details of the budget aggregated and transmitted to the Executive were largely inputs received from the standing committees.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropirations Danjuma Goje and his counterpart in the House of Representatives Abdulmumin Jibrin stated this in a press release late Sunday.
They submitted that consultations are ongoing with a view to resolving impasse.
Recall that President Buhari refused to give his assent to the 2016 budget on the grounds that the National Assembly mutilated the appropriation bill. He therefore forwarded a letter to the National Assembly last week, listing the grey areas.
Some of the capital projects affected include the N60 billion Lagos-Calabar rail project which was allegedly removed by lawmakers; reduction of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway by N24billion; reduction of Second Niger Bridge by N3.9billion; Benin-Sagamu Road slashed by N800million; Kano-Maiduguri-Ngala Rail cut by N260million amongst others.
The lawmakers assured that the interest of Nigerians will be protected at all times.
“What is needful right now is a resolution of the differences and to that end, we call on our colleagues in the National Assembly to accede to the request by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to have a second look at the details and make the necessary adjustments so that he can assent. This, in our opinion, should not go beyond this week.
“To the extent that there are already ongoing consultations, a debate about who is right or wrong is unhelpful in the circumstance; and in any case, does not advance the cause of our country men and women whose interest we have been elected to serve.
“Nevertheless, we must commend President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara and the entire members of the National Assembly, members of the federal executive council, the minister of budget and the budget team for their cooperation even as we assure all Nigerians that we will do everything to protect and defend their interest, at all times”.
Nigerians are hoping that there will be increased activities in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) once the budget is passed.
