Controversy is now trailing the payment of N413billion to oil marketers, as the Senate, which is expected to give approval to the payment , has claimed that there is no supplementary budget before it for the amount .

The development came just as   the Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Ibe Kachikwu stated that the marketers would be paid next week.

Spokesman of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, yesterday said no supplementary budget for the payment of the N413billion subsidy claims for petroleum marketers has been received from the executive,.

Abdullahi stated this while briefing Senate correspondents in Abuja yesterday.

He said, “With respect to the issue of subsidy, the Senate is surely concerned about it because we are all affected. Nobody is left out because there is no separate filling station for certain category of people.

“If the supplementary budget comes, we will do justice to it. It’s a priority and it will be given expeditious treatment when it is eventually unveiled but that does not mean that action was not being taken.

Responding to a question on whether the 2016 Budget will not be delayed because the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) has not been sent to them by the executive, Abdullahi said the budget is a process, adding that the constitution of the Federal Executive Council and the inauguration of the Senate committees this week will facilitate speedy process.

He said, “The three-year MTEF had already been laid before the Seventh Senate but with the coming on board of the new government, there would be reviews and the cabinet is just coming up.

Credit: Leadership