Buhari Backed Osinbajo To Sign Budget 2017 Into Law, Says Presidency

June 12, 2017

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PIC.21.-Ag.-PRESIDENT-OSINBAJO-SIGNS-2017-APPROPRIATION-ACT-INTO-LAW-IN-ABUJA — PIC 21. Acting President Yemi Osinbajo signing the 2017 Appropriation Act into law at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday (12/6/17). With him from left are: Senate President Bukola Saraki; Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang; Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Suleiman Kawu; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma; Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abba Kyari; and Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun. 03181/ 12/6/2017/Callistus Ewelike/BJO/NAN

By Sadiq Umar – Nigeria’s acting President, Yemi Osinbajo has signed the 2017 Appropriation Bill into law but the Presidency says it was a the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari.

A statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President Garba Shehu, Monday announced that the president has directed the Acting President to sign the budget into law.

PIC 21. Acting President Yemi Osinbajo signing the 2017 Appropriation Act into law at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday (12/6/17). With him from left are: Senate President Bukola Saraki; Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang; Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Suleiman Kawu; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma; Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abba Kyari; and Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun.
03181/ 12/6/2017/Callistus Ewelike/BJO/NAN

The signing ceremony was witnessed by the President of the Senate Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Respresentatives, Yakubu Dogara as well as Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari among other officials from the executive arm.

The signing has laid to rest controversies arising from the Executive-Legislative disagreement on the final figure approved in the budget.

The National Assembly passed the N7.44 trillion budget on May 11, with an increase of over N22billion, but Mr. Osinbajo only assented to it Monday, over a month after

Osinbajo signed the budget at about 4:41pm on Monday inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja in the presence of the principal officers of the National Assembly, presidential aides and other top government officials.

The statement titled “President Buhari Backs Acting President to Sign 2017 Budget Bill” reads:

“Following the receipt of a full brief on the 2017 Appropriation Bill as passed by the National Assembly, and to buttress the unity at the highest level of government, President Muhammadu Buhari has indicated that it is in the interest of the nation’s economy for the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to sign the Appropriation Bill into law.

“In a letter dated June 10, 2017, which he personally signed and addressed to the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, the President also said he was pleased by the joint resolution that the Executive would submit next year’s budget proposals by October 2017 and the National Assembly will conclude the Appropriation process by December 2017, so that the country can return to a normal fiscal period from next year onwards.”