Udo-Udoma says Buhari did not sign a padded budget
Wed Aug 10, 2016 07:57:am National
1.9K By Buchi Obichie
The Minister of Budget & National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, on Tuesday explained that the budget signed by President Muhammadu Buhari was well scrutinized and passed through due process of appropriation in the National Assembly before it was signed into law in May.
The Minister made his comments while speaking at a town hall meeting in Abuja.
Udoma, who was reacting to a question on whether the President signed a padded budget, insisted that the executive arm of Government was never in the know of any form of padding before signing it into law.
"We did not assent a padded budget. The budget followed through the various stages of preparation and scrutiny and appropriation before it was signed into law."
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Senate) Senator Ita Enang, also distanced the Presidency from the issue of alleged padding.
Enang spoke after a consultative meeting with senior officials of the APC at the party secretariat in Abuja.
He also added that the party had ordered its members to refrain from further comments on the issue.
"The budget, as assented to by Mr. President, is the budget as passed by the National Assembly and that is the budget being executed.
"But as at now, the party is handling it as a domestic issue, and all of us are enjoined not to make public comments on the details of it because the matter is still under consideration," he said.
Accompanied on the visit by the SSA to the President, (House of Representatives) Ismail Kawu, the presidential aide explained that "in all our years of legislative engagement, we are yet to find in the legislative lexicon the word padding.'
"When the budget is presented before the legislature, the legislature is to consider the budget and pass as it deems fit. So what the legislature passes becomes the appropriation law upon assent.
"Therefore, any word which is yet to crystallize in legislative lexicon, you cannot hear us mention it."
Asked to comment on whether Speaker Yakubu Dogara padded the budget, Enang drew back from speaking further, concluding "we would not want to draw any conclusion. Please let us not go too far mentioning any office. Let it be that two of us have appeared before the party."
The Minister made his comments while speaking at a town hall meeting in Abuja.
Udoma, who was reacting to a question on whether the President signed a padded budget, insisted that the executive arm of Government was never in the know of any form of padding before signing it into law.
"We did not assent a padded budget. The budget followed through the various stages of preparation and scrutiny and appropriation before it was signed into law."
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Senate) Senator Ita Enang, also distanced the Presidency from the issue of alleged padding.
Enang spoke after a consultative meeting with senior officials of the APC at the party secretariat in Abuja.
He also added that the party had ordered its members to refrain from further comments on the issue.
"The budget, as assented to by Mr. President, is the budget as passed by the National Assembly and that is the budget being executed.
"But as at now, the party is handling it as a domestic issue, and all of us are enjoined not to make public comments on the details of it because the matter is still under consideration," he said.
Accompanied on the visit by the SSA to the President, (House of Representatives) Ismail Kawu, the presidential aide explained that "in all our years of legislative engagement, we are yet to find in the legislative lexicon the word padding.'
"When the budget is presented before the legislature, the legislature is to consider the budget and pass as it deems fit. So what the legislature passes becomes the appropriation law upon assent.
"Therefore, any word which is yet to crystallize in legislative lexicon, you cannot hear us mention it."
Asked to comment on whether Speaker Yakubu Dogara padded the budget, Enang drew back from speaking further, concluding "we would not want to draw any conclusion. Please let us not go too far mentioning any office. Let it be that two of us have appeared before the party."
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