With barely 48 hours to the presentation of the 2023 budget proposals to the sitting of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Presidency has affirmed that its provisions can still be altered before Friday to accommodate inputs that may have been omitted.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, stated this while briefing correspondents on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
He said that the budget proposal was the only item for the consideration of the council to enable members to make input.
The presidential spokesman affirmed that if the need arises, the proposal can be tweaked to accommodate necessary inputs.
He said the proposals were discussed at length but was however reluctant to give details.
He said: “It was virtually one item for the Executive Council meeting in which the budget proposals for 2023 was presented and discussed at length.
“That budget proposal will be taken to the National Assembly on Friday morning by Mr. President. So, it will not the proper to begin to discuss the contents of what will be officially presented on Friday.
“So, that is the information I have for us, that we won’t have the traditional briefing of what happened at the Council, because it’s about a budget that will be presented on Friday morning. We’ll want to give the National Assembly that honour of receiving it first. Thank you.”
When pressed to give details, he argued:
“When will it be appropriate to speak about it, after the budget has been represented?
“Yes. You know, usually after the budget has been presented, then there will be a breakdown by the Minister of Finance. So, it will not be proper to begin to unveil what is being taken to the National Assembly on Friday.”
When asked to give an idea of the debt profile, the presidential aide said it is one of the facts contained in the proposal, adding: “All those are things that are in the budget, it will not be fair. My brief is to let you know that the budget was discussed at length, all the details. But as a mark of respect for the National Assembly, which will receive it on Friday, it’s not prudent to begin to give out this information.”
On whether the FEC has endorsed the budget, he maintained: “What was done was that it was discussed extensively and there were inputs, whichever input needs to be reflected before Friday will be done and then it will be presented to the National Assembly.
“Let me tell you, you’ll have the Revised 2023/2025 Fiscal Framework. You will have Expenditure Profile. You’ll have Budget Proposal, you’ll have Aggregate Expenditure, Overhead Costs, Personnel Cost, Capital Expenditure and so on and so forth.
“So, all those things have been discussed and where they needed to tweak some of the projections, that has been done. The final approved copy will be presented by the President on Friday.”
The presidential spokesman also explained why the council cannot resume full in-person meeting which was suspended over the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020.
According to him, “You know, you have to follow the protocols, as done by the steering committee on COVID-19 and the last protocol they announced was that when you are in an open place, you are at liberty to do without your mask, but when you are in an enclosed place, then it is advisable to still use your mask.
“The Council Chambers is enclosed. There are, I think 42 ministers. By the time 42 ministers congregate there, along with other Cabinet Office staff, it’s becoming choked, then it may not be advisable to have a full blown physical meeting yet, but I’m sure we’ll get to that point.”
Also responding to a question on the number of vacancies in Resident Electoral Commission (REC) positions that are yet to be filled, he said: “I can tell you that that issue has come up and is receiving consideration.”
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