NASS yet to transmit 2018 budget to Presidency – Minister

Despite concerns raised by citizens over the delayed passage of the 2018 budget, the National Assembly is yet to transmit the appropriation bill to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent, one week after its passage.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma, disclosed this on Wednesday while responding to inquiries from State House correspondents at the end of the meeting of Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Aso Villa, Abuja.

Udoma, while speaking on the status of the budget, refuted a media report credited to him that ‘Mr Buhari would not sign the budget’ saying the report was false.

According to the minister, “the story is not true.”

He said: “The President is yet to receive the budget. It is, therefore, impossible to make a statement about the budget that has not been received.

“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.”

Both chambers of the National Assembly had on May 16, 2018 approved the budget estimates submitted by Buhari on November 7, 2017.

The lawmakers also raised the total figure from N8.6 trillion to N9.1 trillion, six months after it was presented to them.