Buhari received 2018 Appropriation Bill
By President Muhammadu Buhari has received the 2018 Appropriation Bill.
The Senior Special Assistant to the president on National Assembly matters (Senate), Ita Enang, confirmed this in a phone chat with BusinessDay Friday night.
Enang confirmed that the document got to the President on Friday which was earlier promised by Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Saraki had assured while speaking with State House corespondents on the matter on Thursday, that the 2018 Appropriation Bill will be transmitted on Friday.
According to Enang, “I can confirm to you that the budget has left the National Assembly.”
Asked about the destination of the document, Enang added: “When the budget leaves the National Assembly, it goes to the president. The president has received the budget.”
Recall that Federal Executive Council ( FEC) had on Wednesday expressed worries that the recently passed 2018 budget was yet to be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent
The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma, who stated this while briefing Stare House Correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, had declared that the delay in transmitting the Bill may have negative the implications on the budget
The Minister also dismissed claims credited to him in the media that President Buhari would not sign the budget.
“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 said.
The 2018 budget was passed by both Houses of the National Assembly on May 16, 2018 about six months after it was submitted by Buhari on November 7, 2017, with the budget figure raised from N8.6 trillion to N9.1 trillion
The Budget minister noted that despite challenges, the economy was looking up with a current GDP growth rate of 1.95percent in the first quarter of 2018.
According to him, the GDP of the economy would peg at 3.5percent despite these short comings by the fourth quarter of 2018, adding that the foreign reserves were also growing at a steady pace pegging at $47billion as at May 2018.
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
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