Presidency Denies Stealing Nigeria’s Budget From The National Assembly

The Presidency, on Tuesday night, distanced itself from the missing 2016 budget.

But about two weeks later, news of the withdrawal of the budget filtered round.

The disappearance of the budget document was announced during a closed door session at the National Assembly that lasted 90 minutes.

It was said that Senate Leader Ali Ndume made the disclosure during the closed door session, even as the Senators were supposed to commence the consideration of the N6.08tr budget today.

The budget is said to have been missing, said budget was presented to the joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, December 22, 2015, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Disturbed by the raging enquiries posed by Nigerian social media users, following the news of the missing budget, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, defended the Presidency, noting that President Buhari has not withdrawn the budget as speculated in the media.

Shehu in a series of tweets via his Twitter handle @GarShehu said: “Enquiries about the budget: Nobody except the President can withdraw the budget. As far as we know, he hasn’t done that.

“The copies in their hundreds have been delivered to both chambers of the National Assembly.

“By tradition, once the budget is submitted, it ceases to be our property.

“Enquiries as to where it is should be directed to the appropriate quarters,” he said.