Buhari yet to receive 2018 budget, one week after Senate’s approval

ONE week after it was passed by the National Assembly, President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to receive the 2018 budget.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma made this disclosure at the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday while responding to questions from journalists.

According to the Minster, reports credited to him as saying that the President will not sign the budget were false as he was even yet to receive the budget.

He said, “the President is yet to receive the budget. It is, therefore, impossible to make a statement about the budget that has not been received.

“Once we get it, we will work very quickly on it.”

“When it is submitted, I am sure the National Assembly themselves will inform Nigerians,” Udoma added.

It would be recalled that last Wednesday (May 16, six months after it was presented), the lawmakers passed a total of N9.120 trillion, an increase of N508 billion from the N8.612 trillion originally presented to the Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje explained that after consultation with the Executive, the oil benchmark price was increased from 45 to 51 dollars.

He stressed that the additional 508 billion added to the budget was applied in critical sectors of the economy namely: reduction of the deficit, security, health and power, works and housing.