Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on National
Assembly matters, Ita Enang, has declared that President Muhammadu Buhari
will assent the 2017 budget despite being on medical vacation.
His position overrules that of Acting President, Yemi
Osinbajo’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, who had
stated that his principal will sign the budget.
“Just so we are clear: when the time comes, everything is
set, & he is satisfied, Ag. President Yemi Osinbajo will assent to the 2017
Budget,” he tweeted on Wednesday night.
But in an interview with Channels TV also on Wednesday,
Enang stated that the budget would be transmitted to President Buhari who will
sign it and then transfer it to acting President, Yemi Osinbajo.
He also confirmed that the Presidency received the budget
on Wednesday afternoon.
“The 2017 budget will be transmitted to Mr President and the
President will assent to the budget.
”The acting President is in office and when the budget is
transmitted, it will go through the processes and all those other questions
will answer itself,” he said.
Recall that Minister of Information and Culture, Lai
Mohammed, said there is no decision yet on who will assent to the 2017 budget.
He said this Wednesday afternoon while addressing State
House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council, FEC meeting.
Reacting to a question on whether the budget will be signed
by Osinbajo or taken to Buhari in London, the minister said: “When it (the
budget) is transmitted to the Presidency, that decision (on who to sign) will
be taken.”
Mohammed also stated that if there were any discrepancies in
the budget presented and the one passed, the executive would report to Udoma
for harmonization.
Enag also said: “In respect on the budget, it was only this
morning that the Minister of National Planning informed the council that the
budget has been passed. He has not sent to us individually, copies of the
passed budget.
“We now need to look at it against what we sent, and if
there is any discrepancies, we will report back to the Minister of Budget and
National Planning on harmonization.”
By Wale Odunsi
