Remember the news that President Buhari refused to assent 2016 budget because the National Assembly is yet to forward the details of the passed budget? Now he chairman House Committee on Appropriations, Abdulmumin
Jibrin, has confirmed that the National Assembly did not forward the details of
the 2016 Appropriations Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
He said
it was a regular practice of the National Assembly to send details to the
president weeks after passing the budget, saying there was nothing abnormal for
the president to sign the budget without seeing the details.
In a
statement Wednesday, Mr. Jibrin said it was the tradition of the National
Assembly to scrutinize the details of the budget before its being forwarded to
the Presidency.
“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.
“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.
“The Appropriation committee needs to scrutinize the original
proposal sent by the president vis-à-vis the reports of various Standing
Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate to arrive at a clean
copy of the budget details. This will in no way affect any envelop already
passed or the aggregate expenditure.
“The NASS holds the President in high esteem and will continue
to support him. There were several instances where we demonstrated our support
to the present administrations in the past.
“At the risk of sounding immodest, the NASS approved the
President’s Special Advisers without hitch, approved ministerial nominees
without rancour, approved Supplementary Budget without delay and displayed a
rare show of patriotism in the receipt and passage of the 2016 Medium Term
Expenditure Framework and budget.
“The 2016 Budget is the most challenging budget the NASS has
ever passed in its recent history. Taking into account the many controversies
and omissions, particularly in NYSC, Prisons, Pensions, personnel shortfalls,
among others, the budget failed in many respects to connect with the policy thrust
of the government.
“The NASS Appropriation Committees worked round the clock to
address some of the omissions, bring up to date allocations in the budget
towards the policy direction of Mr. President, particularly issues relating to
security, anti-corruption and economic diversification.
“Given the foregoing efforts, it is therefore unfair for
accusing fingers to be pointed at NASS when the Presidency defers or delays
assent to the budget. Nowhere in the world that a budget is presented to the
Parliament, and expect it to be passed warts and all without subjecting it to
the rigours of scrutiny, debate and painstaking processes and inputs of the
parliament.
“The NASS will continue to exercise its constitutional duty of
appropriation to the latter. While recognising the President’s power to
withhold assent, the NASS is also constitutionally required and has power to
veto. But we don’t want that to happen and we don’t see this happening in this
case.
“It is obvious that some fifth columnists are crying wolf where
there is none and are also bent on creating friction and disharmony between the
NASS and the Presidency,” Mr. Jibrin said.
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