ABUJA—After a week long face-off between the Presidency and the National Assembly, indications emerged, last night, that the lawmakers had soft-pedaled on their tough stance by accepting to review the budget.


Vanguard learned that the change of heart by the legislators, who had earlier threatened to veto the President on the matter, followed series of rapprochement between the Presidency and the top echelon of the NASS since the return of President Muhammadu Buhari from China.

A competent Presidential source confirmed, last night, that the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, had also met severally with key functionaries of the NASS and explained to them the imperatives of reworking the budget in the overall interest of Nigerians.

The source said that even before Buhari returned to Abuja last Saturday, the major infractions committed by the Finance and Appropriations committees of the NASS, which had rendered the budget inoperative, had been laid bare before the leadership of the legislature and their support sought in reviewing it.

The top-ranking official explained to Vanguard that the leadership of the legislature was shocked to see the extent to which the budget had been distorted and huge sums of money diverted to what the Presidency considers ‘irrelevant’ and against national interest.

According to the official, the Presidency viewed what the lawmakers did to the budget as virtually ‘rewriting’ the budget by removing provisions for key national projects and replacing them with ‘personal’ items which add no real value to Nigerians.

The source said the distortions, which had already been compiled by ministers, who used most of last week to work on the fiscal document, caught the lawmakers napping in eight areas.

The eight major areas of budget infractions were said to have been presented to Buhari upon his return to Nigeria and he felt disappointed by the antics of those who committed the act against the nation.

The Presidency officials said the areas had been shown to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, who were shocked to learn of the development.

One source close to the rapprochement said it was the stunning revelations from the Presidency that convinced the two leaders that the budget should be taken back and reviewed, given the level of distortions found in the document.

“After some formal and informal interactions, both leaders of the NASS have indicated willingness to reconsider the controversial appropriation bill,” a Presidency official confirmed last night.

Efforts to speak with the Minister of Budget, Sen. Udoma Udoma, proved abortive, as he did not pick his phone.

The minister’s Media Adviser, Mr. Akpandem James, could not also be reached for comments as at press time.

M4gunners:
Nigeria is a failed Country quote me anywhere. Don't try to cover this. Since i was born, i have never seen a Country where a budget is being played like a nollywood film. Yet nobody is being held responsible for it, instead the fg is busy travelling from one Country to the other to accumulate more depth for us.

MabraO:


OGA go sleep jare.. U not making sense

MabraO:


OGA go sleep jare.. U not making sense

M4gunners:
Nigeria is a failed Country quote me anywhere. Don't try to cover this. Since i was born, i have never seen a Country where a budget is being played like a nollywood film. Yet nobody is being held responsible for it, instead the fg is busy travelling from one Country to the other to accumulate more depth for us.

asfrank:


See this guy. U think its business as usual? When the budget is presented nd no serious review is done by the president before ascent? When d president is busy trying to see how things could be done in order, u r here spewing rubbish. If u hv followed d events surrounding fiscal document, nd privy to the level of distortion, den u would not be saying such things. As for Mr President nd his travelling, well u persons would always have something to say, if him no travel, una go call am local champion, now he is doing it una go still talk. But in any case d guy has to do what ever he feels would benefit d ppl of nigeria. I beg if such good things come around nd u r still busy playing politics to d extent d@ u would nt like to take ur share just call me en, make I take ur own!!

omenka:
Democracy is overrated honestly.

Smh.

adioolayi:
This has been the practice over the years ....Cut overhead cost of important project that will benefit the masses....divert the cut cost to personal constituency projects of which they have provisions for in the NASS budget ..thereby making it impossible for government to fully implement the important project they budgeted for...and so NASS members become richer from such funds...after all, they won't implement any project.. all will be embezzled.
This is one of the major reasons they fight to head various committees in the NASS.


ROGUES!

asfrank:


See this guy. U think its business as usual? When the budget is presented nd no serious review is done by the president before ascent? When d president is busy trying to see how things could be done in order, u r here spewing rubbish. If u hv followed d events surrounding fiscal document, nd privy to the level of distortion, den u would not be saying such things. As for Mr President nd his travelling, well u persons would always have something to say, if him no travel, una go call am local champion, now he is doing it una go still talk. But in any case d guy has to do what ever he feels would benefit d ppl of nigeria. I beg if such good things come around nd u r still busy playing politics to d extent d@ u would nt like to take ur share just call me en, make I take ur own!!