Strong indications emerged on Sunday that the National Assembly and President Muhammadu Buhari are on a collision course over details of the 2016 budget.
According to a report by Punch newspaper, both chambers of the National Assembly were uncomfortable with Buhari’s stand that he would ensure that what would be given to him for signature would be in line with the budget submitted.
The President in Washington on Thursday said he was not in a hurry to sign the budget.
“I have to look at the bill ministry by ministry to be sure that what has been brought back for me to sign is in line with our original submission,” he had said.
Buhari had accused unnamed bureaucrats of substituting his proposals with theirs, thereby padding the budget to their own advantage.
A senator who did not want to be named disclosed to the newspaper stated that the President should understand that the National Assembly has the power to alter the budget.
He said, “Any insistence by the President that what he will sign must not be different from the budget submitted will cause row between us. We have worked on the budget and got rid of padding and errors. Nigerians are waiting for its implementation.”
When contacted, the House of Representatives advised the President to be mindful of the power of appropriation conferred on the National Assembly by the 1999 Constitution as he delays the signing of the 2016 budget.
While agreeing with the President that he had the “prerogative” of not signing the budget until he had seen the details, the House noted that the National Assembly had already re-worked the budget in line with the change agenda of Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The National Assembly invoked its power of appropriation while working on the budget, Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazak Namdas was quoted as saying.
He added that the aim of taking budgetary proposals to the National Assembly for legislative scrutiny would be defeated if the same document was returned to the President the way he took it to the National Assembly.
According to him, it was the scrutiny by the National Assembly that led to the cutting of about N17bn from the original N6.07tn that the President proposed to bring the final figure to N6.06tn.
Namdas stated further, “We won’t make issues with the President on his desire to see the details before signing; no. That is his prerogative. The National has played its role of appropriation in adjusting some of the content, which led to the reduction of the budget size by N17bn.
“The budget has been passed in line with the change agenda of the administration. So, while Mr. President will see the details, we advise that the power of appropriation remains with the National Assembly.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the Senate on the issue failed on Saturday as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje have proved abortive.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, could not be reached for comment as of press time as he was on Buhari’s entourage to the 4th Nuclear Security Summit holding in the United States.
The Presidency had on Friday said Buhari could not be held responsible for the delay in signing the 2016 Appropriation Bill into law.
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