The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, has explained why Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has not signed the 2017 budget.
According to him, Mr. Osinbajo is still consulting before giving his assent to the Appropriation bill recently passed by the National Assembly.
Senator Enang who spoke on Radio Nigeria Network News monitored by our correspondent, said the federal government is still within the stipulated time frame allowed by law.
“The law still allows the Acting President 30 more days to examine the budget before signing. He is consulting to ensure that there will be no impediment after signing.
“Section 11 of the 2016 appropriation indicates that the budget will subsist for 12 calendar months.”
The presidential aide assured Nigerians that the constitution has given powers to the two arms on matters of the budget.
He insisted that the two arms are working together to produce a budget the country will be proud of.
“The 2017 Appropriation Bill was submitted on December 14, 2016.
There’s no problem at all. We’re consulting. It has to be scrutinized line by line.
“There’s nothing for Nigerians to worry about. The Executive and the Legislature are working together. It is not we versus them,” Enang said.
