No end to the row over the budget, yet. Budget and National Planning Minister Udo Udoma said members of the Federal Executive Council were still studying the details to agree if it's right for President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the budget into law.
He also confirmed that the Lagos/Kano and Calabar/Lagos rail lines are projects in the budget, in form of a N60bn provision in the counterpart funding to support the Chinese financing of the projects.
He cleared Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, of any wrongdoing and stressed that there was no going back on the two priority projects.
But senators, after a “noisy” closed session, said there should be no controversy over the projects since the Presidency can send a supplementary budget to accommodate them.
Udoma, in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media, Akpandem James, said the amended Ministry of Transportation budget was accepted by the relevant committees and that was the version defended by the Minister of Transportation and his team.
The statement said: “In view of the recent controversies surrounding the 2016 budget, it has become necessary to state the following so as to set the facts straight:
The details of the 2016 budget were received by the President on Thursday, April 7, 2016.
“Immediately this was received the President, desirous of signing the document into law as soon as possible, directed that copies should be made available to heads of the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government.
“Ministers were asked to go through the details and give their reactions as it affects their respective ministries so as to guide the President and enable him sign the Appropriation Bill into law.
“That process is still ongoing and no statement has been issued by the Executive on the matter, apart from the one by the Honourable Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohamnmed, to confirm that details of the budget are being examined. No final decision has been taken by the President and no other statement whatsoever has been issued on the matter.”
The Executive will not go back on the Lagos–Kano and the Calabar–Lagos rail line projects, said Udoma, which were included in the budget because they are dear to the Buhari administration.
“Immediately this was received the President, desirous of signing the document into law as soon as possible, directed that copies should be made available to heads of the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government.
“Ministers were asked to go through the details and give their reactions as it affects their respective ministries so as to guide the President and enable him sign the Appropriation Bill into law.
“That process is still ongoing and no statement has been issued by the Executive on the matter, apart from the one by the Honourable Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohamnmed, to confirm that details of the budget are being examined. No final decision has been taken by the President and no other statement whatsoever has been issued on the matter.”
The Executive will not go back on the Lagos–Kano and the Calabar–Lagos rail line projects, said Udoma, which were included in the budget because they are dear to the Buhari administration.
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