President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday received the full details of the 2016 budget from the National Assembly.

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, alongside his colleague, Hon. Ismaila Kawu, who brought the document to the Presidential Villa confirmed its receipt to State House correspondents.
He said: “The budget details have been transmitted to His Excellency, Mr. President today. The constitutional process begins thereafter.

“We have transmitted it to the office of the president and the constitutional process of timing starts.”
Buhari had refused to sign the budget when it was passed last month citing the absence of the expenditure breakdown. He insisted on seeing the details and having it scrutinised by the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), before signing the 2016 Appropriation Bill into law.

Sources confirmed that the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Salisu Maikasuwa signed the 1,800-page document yesterday morning and presented it to Enang at about 10 am for onward transmission to Buhari.
“I can confirm to you that Senator Enang received the document this morning. You recall the clerk of the National Assembly received it yesterday. So he has signed it, and it has been given to the SSA,” a source said.

Another source, however, was critical that the process of transmission was dragged into an unnecessary controversy.

Credit: Thisday