The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Affairs (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, on Sunday said all hands are on deck as the executive is working together with lawmakers to ensure that the 2018 budget comes to effect by March 31.
The President’s Special Adviser who was a guest on Channels Television Programme, Sunday Politics said the lawmakers have been provided with necessary details and inputs for quick passage of the appropriation bill.
President Buhari had on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, presented the 2018 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly.
The President during the presentation proposed a budget of N8.612 trillion for the year 2018.
Senator Enang, in reaction to the controversy that earlier trailed the whereabouts of the budget, said there is no cause for alarm because the budget is currently under consideration by the National Assembly.
He said, “Last week, the National Assembly at the Senate raised a question (observation) that there are some questions and inputs which they still expect from some MDAs. We (the executive) have been in touch with the chairman of the appropriation committee, the chairman of the sub-committee and the deputy chairman of the committee.
“Any area where they needed any question, we have answered. We have brought the officers before them (in the Senate). The Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation met with them, we have also appraised the Minister of Budget and National Planning Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, we have met with most of the ministers who they had anything about their input.”
The presidential aide was hopeful that the budget would soon be passed, saying the executive arm of government is working together with the legislature to ensure its implementation by March 31.
“I will not be in a position to dispute any matter with the Senate,” he said. “We need a solution; we need the 2018 budget to be passed.”
“We are working with the legislature to ensure that by March 31, 2018, the budget of 2018 will come into effect – that is agreed between the executive and legislature and we are working towards that,” he added.
