Uncertainty Looms in N’Assembly over Budget Consideration

By Damilola Oyedele in Abuja


It has emerged that the commencement of deliberations on the 2016 budget proposal in the National Assembly may be delayed following President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter to the legislature notifying it that some amendments had been made to the budget.

A member of the House of Representatives, who preferred not to be named, informed THISDAY yesterday that the Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, received the letter from the president notifying the lower legislative chamber of some “corrections” in the budet on Friday evening.

Though the source expressed ignorance over the details of the letter, he clarified that the letter did not amount to a withdrawal of the 2016 budget proposal.

“What the president is trying to do is to make corrections or adjustments, but the House may not be able to commence deliberations. I do not know the contents of the letter, but based on inside information that we have, it is not for the withdrawal of the whole budget,” the source said.

He said there would be more clarity once the House resumes sitting on Tuesday and after the speaker may have communicated the contents of the letter to his colleagues.