Budget showdown looms as
Buhari withholds assent by Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor,
Northern Operation/ Yomi Odunuga,
Abuja, April 10, 2016 at 12:15 am in Featured, News • Ministers stop Buhari from signing
‘mutilated’ budget
• NASS tampers with key projects
• FG spots eight key defects in
budget details
• Legislators slash allocations for completion
of major road projects nationwide
• Ministers end scrutiny of details,
send
package to Udoma The Presidency and the Federal
Executive Council (FEC) have
identified eight major ‘assaults’ by
the National Assembly on the 2016
Appropriation Bill sent to President
Muhammadu Buhari last Thursday for his assent, The Nation learnt last
night. The infractions were detected by
the ministers at their Friday’s
emergency meeting called to vet the
budget details. This development is now stalling
the signing into law of the bill by the
President until his return from a
week-long trip to China. But he plans to engage the National
Assembly in talks with a view to
resolving the issues, sources
familiar with the matter said. In contention are funds proposed
by the executive for key
infrastructure projects but which
were either removed from the
budget or slashed drastically by the
National Assembly in the details presented to him. One of these is the Coastal Railway
project which the President plans to
discuss with the Chinese
government during his visit. He is departing Abuja today for
Beijing at the start of the visit. Government earmarked N60billion
counterpart funds for it but the
NASS removed it completely from
the budget details. It was gathered that Buhari had
planned to assent to the
Appropriation Bill yesterday but the
“strategic and fundamental errors/
oversights” in the details may now
delay it by a week. The Presidency also found that the
NASS: *Expunged the Calabar – Lagos rail
line project from the budget details; *Reduced allocation to the
completion Idu-Kaduna rail project
by N8.7b; *Slashed allocations for the
completion of all major road
projects across the country; *Proposed new roads for which
studies have not been conducted; *Dropped proposals for the
purchase of essential drugs for
major health campaigns like Polio
and AIDS; *Cancelled or reduced allocations
for diversification projects under
Agriculture and Water Resources;
and *Diverted funds for rural health
facilities and boreholes for which
provisions had been made
elsewhere. Throwing light on the issue, a well
placed source said: “The National
Assembly transmitted the details to
the President on Thursday, April 7,
2016 and because he was desirous
of giving assent to the Appropriation Bill before leaving for
China, he directed that the Ministers
should review the provisions/
appropriations of their respective
ministry to fast-track the process. “The document was distributed
same Thursday to all ministers and a
meeting was agreed for Friday to
get everything sorted out for the
President’s briefing and assent. That
was why the Vice President, who is the Head of the Economic Team
presided over the meeting and not
the President. “At the meeting, it was noticed that
some very key aspects of the
Budget, which have to do with
government’s core infrastructural
focus were removed. One of which
is the subject of the President’s trip to China – the Coastal Railway
project – for which a counterpart
funding of N60b was provided, but
which was completely removed by
the National Assembly.” The Executive is working on two
major rail arteries, among other rail
projects, to service the northern and
eastern part of the country – the
Lagos-Kano line and the Calabar –
Lagos line. The source said that while the
provision for the Lagos-Kano rail
line was left untouched, the Calabar
– Lagos line was removed entirely. Both projects are to be funded
jointly by China and Nigeria. The
source said that the amount
proposed for the completion of the
Idu-Kaduna rail project which “has
reached an advanced stage was reduced by N8.7b, a development
which will make it difficult for the
project to be completed.” Continuing, the source said: “The
other fundamental area noticed was
in respect of completion of on-
going road projects. While the
Executive had provided for the
completion of all major road projects across the country, the
National Assembly reduced the
amounts provided and instead
included new roads which studies
have not even been conducted. “The amounts provided by the
National Assembly for the projects
can neither complete the on-going
road projects nor the new ones
proposed. At the end of the year no
significant progress would have been made.” Asked of the next step, the source
said: “Because of these
observations, the President is
engaging further with the
leadership of the National Assembly
to resolve them and hopes that it would be resolved by the time he
returns from his trip to China. “The President is desirous of
signing the bill into law so that the
implementation of the provisions
could begin in earnest for the
benefit of the people. “That is why the moment he
received the document on
Thursday, a meeting was convened
for Friday to immediately start work
on it.” Another source in the cabinet said:
“We have all completed the review
of the budget details sent to the
Presidency by the National
Assembly.” All ministers were directed to send
their observations (if any) on their
allocations to the Minister of Budget
and National Planning, Senator Udo
Udoma. The Ministry of Budget and National
Planning will thereafter compile all
observations and comments in line
with the proposals of the Executive
arm and guide the President
accordingly. Another reliable source spoke
yesterday of how ministers and
members of the president’s
economic team stopped him from
signing the ‘mutilated’ budget. The ministers, according to the
source who was at the Friday
meeting, lamented the “reckless
mutilation” of the original
documents which the President
tendered to the National Assembly, noting that the details were clearly
un-implementable. The source disclosed that Buhari,
who had earlier been scheduled to
address the nation after signing the
budget had to call off the broadcast. He said: “All the ministers, aside the
Defence Minister who was a bit
positive about the figures
appropriated for his ministry, totally
kicked against the so called budget
details. “They said it was mutilated beyond
recognition and therefore cannot
be implemented under the present
condition. Notably, the Minister of
Health told the gathering that what
was returned to his ministry was even worse than what he kicked
against when he went to defend the
budget in the National Assembly. “As a matter of fact, the budget
details made nonsense of the
planned visit of the President to
China because the lawmakers
removed that aspect of the loan
completely from the details that were scrutinized by the ministers
yesterday (Friday).” Asked what steps the Presidency
would take next, the source said
two options are open for the
President. He said the documents
may be sent back to the lawmakers
with a detailed note on the mutilation and a call for rectification
or he may be persuaded to sign the
budget and then ask for
modifications.
thenationonlineng.net/budget-showdown-looms-buhari-withholds-assent/

The most unpatriotic Nigerians re members of NASS. Thank God Buhari did not sign it earlier. Useless Legislators.

Hmmmmmmm Bet why??
Anyway, show some love to lazyreporta
Today is ma birthday

What is wrong with this National Assembly?
Do they realise they are there to serve the peopl?
How can they be slashing and removing projects that will benefit the people ?
I am sure they did not slasg their allowances.

And the President is going away for a week? Na wa..

Shiorr wen dis country wan better self
May God just help us

Flexherbal:
What is wrong with this National Assembly?
Do they realise they are there to serve the peopl?
How can they be slashing and removing projects that will benefit the people ?
I am sure they did not slasg their allowances.

They re everything wrong with the system called Nigeria.

Flexherbal:
What is wrong with this National Assembly?

The National Assembly is a representation of who we are. We let thieves and crooks represent and govern us. These are the 'village people' that we have been looking for.

kel4soft:
Budget showdown looms as
Buhari withholds assent by Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor,
Northern Operation/ Yomi Odunuga,
Abuja, April 10, 2016 at 12:15 am in Featured, News • Ministers stop Buhari from signing
‘mutilated’ budget
• NASS tampers with key projects
• FG spots eight key defects in
budget details
• Legislators slash allocations for completion
of major road projects nationwide
• Ministers end scrutiny of details,
send
package to Udoma The Presidency and the Federal
Executive Council (FEC) have
identified eight major ‘assaults’ by
the National Assembly on the 2016
Appropriation Bill sent to President
Muhammadu Buhari last Thursday for his assent, The Nation learnt last
night. The infractions were detected by
the ministers at their Friday’s
emergency meeting called to vet the
budget details. This development is now stalling
the signing into law of the bill by the
President until his return from a
week-long trip to China. But he plans to engage the National
Assembly in talks with a view to
resolving the issues, sources
familiar with the matter said. In contention are funds proposed
by the executive for key
infrastructure projects but which
were either removed from the
budget or slashed drastically by the
National Assembly in the details presented to him. One of these is the Coastal Railway
project which the President plans to
discuss with the Chinese
government during his visit. He is departing Abuja today for
Beijing at the start of the visit. Government earmarked N60billion
counterpart funds for it but the
NASS removed it completely from
the budget details. It was gathered that Buhari had
planned to assent to the
Appropriation Bill yesterday but the
“strategic and fundamental errors/
oversights” in the details may now
delay it by a week. The Presidency also found that the
NASS: *Expunged the Calabar – Lagos rail
line project from the budget details; *Reduced allocation to the
completion Idu-Kaduna rail project
by N8.7b; *Slashed allocations for the
completion of all major road
projects across the country; *Proposed new roads for which
studies have not been conducted; *Dropped proposals for the
purchase of essential drugs for
major health campaigns like Polio
and AIDS; *Cancelled or reduced allocations
for diversification projects under
Agriculture and Water Resources;
and *Diverted funds for rural health
facilities and boreholes for which
provisions had been made
elsewhere. Throwing light on the issue, a well
placed source said: “The National
Assembly transmitted the details to
the President on Thursday, April 7,
2016 and because he was desirous
of giving assent to the Appropriation Bill before leaving for
China, he directed that the Ministers
should review the provisions/
appropriations of their respective
ministry to fast-track the process. “The document was distributed
same Thursday to all ministers and a
meeting was agreed for Friday to
get everything sorted out for the
President’s briefing and assent. That
was why the Vice President, who is the Head of the Economic Team
presided over the meeting and not
the President. “At the meeting, it was noticed that
some very key aspects of the
Budget, which have to do with
government’s core infrastructural
focus were removed. One of which
is the subject of the President’s trip to China – the Coastal Railway
project – for which a counterpart
funding of N60b was provided, but
which was completely removed by
the National Assembly.” The Executive is working on two
major rail arteries, among other rail
projects, to service the northern and
eastern part of the country – the
Lagos-Kano line and the Calabar –
Lagos line. The source said that while the
provision for the Lagos-Kano rail
line was left untouched, the Calabar
– Lagos line was removed entirely. Both projects are to be funded
jointly by China and Nigeria. The
source said that the amount
proposed for the completion of the
Idu-Kaduna rail project which “has
reached an advanced stage was reduced by N8.7b, a development
which will make it difficult for the
project to be completed.” Continuing, the source said: “The
other fundamental area noticed was
in respect of completion of on-
going road projects. While the
Executive had provided for the
completion of all major road projects across the country, the
National Assembly reduced the
amounts provided and instead
included new roads which studies
have not even been conducted. “The amounts provided by the
National Assembly for the projects
can neither complete the on-going
road projects nor the new ones
proposed. At the end of the year no
significant progress would have been made.” Asked of the next step, the source
said: “Because of these
observations, the President is
engaging further with the
leadership of the National Assembly
to resolve them and hopes that it would be resolved by the time he
returns from his trip to China. “The President is desirous of
signing the bill into law so that the
implementation of the provisions
could begin in earnest for the
benefit of the people. “That is why the moment he
received the document on
Thursday, a meeting was convened
for Friday to immediately start work
on it.” Another source in the cabinet said:
“We have all completed the review
of the budget details sent to the
Presidency by the National
Assembly.” All ministers were directed to send
their observations (if any) on their
allocations to the Minister of Budget
and National Planning, Senator Udo
Udoma. The Ministry of Budget and National
Planning will thereafter compile all
observations and comments in line
with the proposals of the Executive
arm and guide the President
accordingly. Another reliable source spoke
yesterday of how ministers and
members of the president’s
economic team stopped him from
signing the ‘mutilated’ budget. The ministers, according to the
source who was at the Friday
meeting, lamented the “reckless
mutilation” of the original
documents which the President
tendered to the National Assembly, noting that the details were clearly
un-implementable. The source disclosed that Buhari,
who had earlier been scheduled to
address the nation after signing the
budget had to call off the broadcast. He said: “All the ministers, aside the
Defence Minister who was a bit
positive about the figures
appropriated for his ministry, totally
kicked against the so called budget
details. “They said it was mutilated beyond
recognition and therefore cannot
be implemented under the present
condition. Notably, the Minister of
Health told the gathering that what
was returned to his ministry was even worse than what he kicked
against when he went to defend the
budget in the National Assembly. “As a matter of fact, the budget
details made nonsense of the
planned visit of the President to
China because the lawmakers
removed that aspect of the loan
completely from the details that were scrutinized by the ministers
yesterday (Friday).” Asked what steps the Presidency
would take next, the source said
two options are open for the
President. He said the documents
may be sent back to the lawmakers
with a detailed note on the mutilation and a call for rectification
or he may be persuaded to sign the
budget and then ask for
modifications.
thenationonlineng.net/budget-showdown-looms-buhari-withholds-assent/

He should sign the thing jare! Why is it that the coastal rail is the only one planned for BOT (Build, Operate & Transfer). Indirectly, the Chinese would manage the rail to collect their money. The rest of the rails in Nigeria are not private projects. you can see through the veil that indirectly, the Niger-Deltans would pay for the project. Instead of coastal rail, develop three seaports with the funds. Of what purpose is a coastal rail to Nige-Deltans? Again why would you be funding a project frm the provider of your resources with counterpart funding? It is not what it seems, fellow Niger-Deltans, Na gbese like Lekki Concession!!!

sonOfLucifer:
And the President is going away for a week? Na wa..

Part of the reason why he was going have been expunged by NASS. A shame to those lawmakers. My only worry is how can the Southern lawmakers give approval for the removal of Calabar-Lagos project? Politics??

Front page please, MOD

Amitex:


He should sign the thing jare! Why is it that the coastal rail is the only one planned for BOT (Build, Operate & Transfer). Indirectly, the Chinese would manage the rail to collect their money. the rest of the rails in Nigeria are not private projects. you can see through the viel that indirectly, the Niger-Deltans would pay for the project. Instead of coastal rail, develop three seaports with the funds.

I thought you re intelligent. Did you read the thread at all? Both Lagos-Kano and Calabar-Lagos re PPP. Even the soon to be completed Abuja-Kaduna is PPP by same Chinese. If you re against standard guage rail in Niger Delta, then you re an enemy.