The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, on Thursday revealed that “all things being equal”, President Muhammadu Buhari will sign the 2017 Appropriation Bill despite the hitches being experienced on the passage of the document at the National Assembly.
Lawan disclosed this in an interview with State House correspondents after he met behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
While saying there is nothing to worry about on the document, the Senate Leader recalled that the National Assembly had intended to pass the budget in March.
He said that target could not be met because of some parameters that lawmakers did not have control over.
He said while it was also planned to be passed in April, the residence of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje, was raided by the police and parts of the Budget documents were taken away.
He said;
“This and other things that happened and essentially, the trauma that the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation had to go through, affected the process of budgeting.“When we were going on Easter recess, members of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, including that of the House, did not go on recess. They stayed back because that was the arrangement so that by the time we returned on April 25, that was Tuesday, they should lay the report of the budget.“Unfortunately, that was not possible because of what happened. But the good news is that we are doing everything possible to ensure that we catch up with the lost time.“So, by the grace of God, I am thinking that by next week, we should be able to finish our own work and pass the budget for Mr. president to sign.”
Lawan also gave an indication that the Senate may consider the list of ministerial nominees sent to it by the President and other matters by next week.
