SAN FRANCISCO, May 26, (THEWILL) – Senate President Bukola Saraki has promised that the 2018 Appropriation Bill will be presented to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent on Friday.
The National Assembly had passed the 2018 Appropriation Bill on Wednesday, May 16, six months after President Buhari presented the bill to them.
However, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, told journalists on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) that the President had yet to receive the bill, one week after it was passed.
“The president is yet to receive the budget it is therefore, impossible to make a statement about the budget that has not been received,” Udoma had told reporters.
“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.”
But speaking on Thursday when he led members of the National Assembly to the State House to break the day’s fast with President Buhari, Saraki said he believes that it is just a matter of hours before the President receives the budget.
According to the Senate President, the delay in presenting the budget to President Buhari is because both chambers of the National Assembly were harmonising the budget.
President Buhari had proposed a budget of N8.612 trillion to the National Assembly but the lawmakers increased the proposed figure by N508 billion, to N9,120 trillion.
The lawmakers also raised the price of oil benchmark from $45 to $51 but maintained oil production at 2.3 million barrels per day and exchange rate at N305 to a dollar.
