ABUJA, Federal Republic of Nigeria. (Leadership) — The National Assembly is still working on the details of the 2016 Budget, which was passed into law last week Wednesday, and the Appropriation Bill can be assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari with or without its details.
This was disclosed by the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday.
Recall that the Presidency was reported to have said that the non-signing of the 2016 Appropriation Bill into law by Buhari was due to the lack details of the budget as passed by the lawmakers.
But Jibrin disagreed, saying that “there is nothing abnormal” for the President to assent to the Bill before receiving its details, addding that there were inconsistencies and anomalies in Money Bill, hence the need for the lawmakers to do a thorough job on fiscal document.
“We wish to make the some clarifications, following media reports suggesting that withholding of assent to the 2016 Appropriation Bill by the Presidency is due to the failure of the National Assembly to send the budget details to the Presidency alongside the Appropriation Bill.
“Ordinarily, the National Assembly should not have responded to the issues raised, but we are duty-bound to put the issues into perspective and put records straight even though we doubt very much if the Presidency will issue such statement knowing fully well the challenges the budget has faced so far.
“The general public should note that the MTEF and 2016 budget proposal came to NASS very late. You will also recall that a lot of dust was raised over different versions of the budget circulated in the national assembly. Further, some ministers disowned the content of the budget during defence before NASS.
“Amid these inconsistencies and discrepancies, the NASS had been deeply engrossed in perfecting the anomalies, ironing out of the wrinkles and stretching the twists inherent in the 2016 appropriation Bill.
“In order for the nation to move forward and avoid stagnation of administrative processes, the tradition is that the bill is passed and forwarded to the presidency for assent, while the lawmakers continue to work on the details. There is nothing abnormal about this practice and yet nothing abnormal about a President assenting a budget before or after seeing the details. In any case, the budget details are usually sent within a week or two after passing the budget,” Jibrin said.
He added that: “In view of the inconsistencies, errors, omissions and padding that characterised the 2016 budget, it would be unpatriotic of NASS to forward the budget details without being extra-careful, meticulous and cautious in discharging its duties. This is to ensure we do not make same mistake that the executive made.”
