No plan to reject 2017 budget —Presidency

THE Presidency, on Saturday, cleared the air on the uncertainty and delay over when the 2017 budget would be signed and who would signed it.

The president Mohammed Buhari is outside the country receiving medical care.

The acting president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has declared that he would sign it but the delay is giving people a great concern .

However, the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang  has made it known that the budget would soon be signed soon saying there is no plan to reject it.

Enang in a statement, informed that the presidency was working within the constitutional time-frame required to process details of the 2017 budget passed by the National Assembly.

The statement which he personally signed, stated that, “There is no such plan by it to reject the 2017 budget passed by the National Assembly as alleged in some reports.”

He added “The Presidency can only assent to the budget or withhold assent as the case maybe. However, should there be areas needing input, the Presidency would engage the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives. As such, any report suggesting a rejection of the 2017 budget by the presidency is incorrect.”

Right now, he said, “the Presidency is subjecting every detail of the budget using the available systems at its disposal to ensure the figures appropriated to MDAs are consistent with the realities on ground, while also engaging in consultations.

“When the budget was presented to both chambers of the National Assembly for consideration last year by President Muhammadu Buhari, both chambers subjected the document to legislative processes using internal systems at their disposal.

“This, exactly, is what the presidency is actually doing at the moment to ensure what would be eventually assented to sufficiently addresses the nation’s present realities, as not doing so could expose government to a backlash from Nigerians.”