Update: Shocker As Senate Declares 2017 Budget Documents Missing

*Blames Problem On Raid By Police On Senator Danjuma Goje’s Residence

Plans by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to draw the Nigerian economy out of recession through the 2017 budget may have been put on hold now, as the Senate on Wednesday declared the Budget document missing.

The Senate, indeed, linked the missing budget document to an earlier invasion and raid of the residence of Senator Danjuma Goje, its Chairman Appropriation Committee, during which several documents and files on the budget got missing.

Danjuma is equally the Chairman of the Joint National Assembly Committee on Appropriation saddled with the task of harmonizing budget issues between the Senate and the House of Representatives.

This development appears like a play out of the worsening relationship between the Senate and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari on some irreconcilable differences.

Earlier, the Senate who had shown aversion to the insistence by President Buhari to stick to the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, after it earlier rejected him had threatened to always stand down further requests from the President until the sack of Magu

The Police, according to report conducted a search on the home of Senator Goje on prompting from a whistle blower.

Issue on the missing 2017 budget document came to the fore during Wednesday’s plenary when Senator Goje recounted his ordeal with the police invasion of his residence last Thursday, to his colleagues.

He said the Police who raided his residence at Asokoro, Abuja took away 18 files containing his working documents on the budget as well as his lap top where according to him, more of the information on the budget were stored as well as cash in both local and foreign currencies.

Goje said the Police only found the sums of N18 million, $19,000 and 4, ooo Saudi’s Ryadh in his residence.

He told his colleagues that the Police last Thursday stormed his residence in a commando like operation and immediately blocked all entry to his residence while preventing family members from going in or out of the building.

He said the officers numbering over 20 came in 6 Hillux vans and one big bus on entering into the main building broke all doors, most especially those leading to his study, bedroom and the wardrobe to cart away money, documents, files and his lap top.

The Police, he said occupied his building and subjected members of his family, his grand children and visitors to a 4 hour trauma and at the end left everyone they met frightened.

The Senate Appropriation Committee Chairman also said he was at the National Assembly working on the 2017 Budget with his colleagues when the Police came calling.

He said the Senate Appropriation Committee had concluded plans to work on the budget with break neck speed with intent to turn in the final document to the Senate for approval this week.

He said from indications, the raid on his residence by the Police had disrupted the plan for budget presentation, an indication that the process has been brought to a halt now.

He said, “Up till now, I don’t know why the Police came to raid my house. I still don’t know what they took away because they took my laptop, 18 files and other documents. From last Thursday till now, I have not been able to do anything because there is nothing to work on.

Goje, however appealed to Nigerians for understanding on the reason the process of budget preparations has come to a halt, insisting that Nigerians should not blame the National Assembly for the problem, but the police.

In his remarks, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki said it was imperative for the Police to come out clearly to state reason its officers raided the residence of Senator Goje.

Saraki said he found it most unfortunate to be told that the Police admitted that they were misinformed and misled by a whistle blower to raid Goje;s residence, a development he described as highly embrrasing to the Senate.

He however, called on the Police to as a matter of urgency return the filed containing the 2017 Budget which he said they took away from Seantor Goje and make a public presentation of the documents to him.

He thereafter referred the matter to an adhoc Committee set up to look into the attempted assassination on Senator Dino Melaye and the issues raised against the Police by Senator Goje.