Confusion over signing of budget

THERE was confusion on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja over whether or not, acting President Yemi Osinbajo would assent to the 2017 budget on Thursday.

Some report earlier in the day had suggested that he would sign the document at 9:00 a.m. before jetting out for a scheduled trip to Cross River state at 10am.

But the Senior Special Assistant to the president on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, poured cold water on the rumour, saying in a terse statement that assent to the bill was not yet scheduled.

He said: “Further to several enquiries regarding action on the 2017 Appropriation Bill by the Executive, be please informed that Assent to same is not yet scheduled as consultations and engagements are ongoing.

“Be please so informed.”

Enang had stirred controversy recently when he suggested that the document would be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari in London for his assent before being passed to the acting President.

Similarly, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had also suggested that a decision on who would sign the budget had not been taken.

But a clarification was later offered by Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, who insisted that Osinbajo would sign the document when it was ready.

Akande could not be reached for his comment at the time of writing this report.