Budget 2017 will be ready for Buhari’s assent next week – Senate Leader

The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, has disclosed that the National Assembly will ensure that the 2017 budget is ready for President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent next week.

Lawan stated this on Thursday while speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Senate Leader added that the Senate had intended to pass the budget in March but that was not possible due to issues beyond the lawmakers’ control.

According to him, Nigerians should not worry about the budget despite the police raid on the residence of Chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje, even though it was reported that part of the documents carted away included the budget papers.

He said, “The good news is that we are doing everything possible to ensure that we catch up the lost time, I am thinking that by next week by the grace of God we should be able to finish our own work and pass the budget to Mr. President to sign.

“There is nothing to worry about, the National Assembly had intended to pass the budget in March but due to some of the parameters that we had little or no control over we couldn’t pass it in March.

“It was our desire and design to pass it this month but somehow something happened and all of you here know what happened.

The house of one of our colleagues, the chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Danjuma Goje, was raided by the police after a whistle blower gave information and when some documents were taken, part of the budget papers was also included.”