National Assembly Passes 2016 Budget; Presidency Reacts

After weeks and months of foot-dragging, the national assembly on Wednesday passed the much expected 2016 budget, which is now N6.08trillion. This followed some reductions here and there.

The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang, told newsmen at a press briefing in Abuja that the consideration and passage of the bill was laudable. He commended the Senate and House committees on appropriation as well as the sub-committees for working hard in ensuring that the budget was passed.

He said, “I followed the entire process and I have seen the industry that has been exhibited by the senators. I want to say that we appreciate particularly the fact that in the course of consideration, the committee chairmen, the committee members and the chairmen of appropriation committees were in constant touch."

Ita Enang further commended the legislature for approving the harmonised version of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), adding that they were the parameter for passing the budget.

He also extolled the media for extensive coverage of the process leading to the passage of the budget.

President Muhammadu Buhari had presented the 2016 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly on Dec. 22, 2015.

We hope the promised "Change" will start manifesting in the next few weeks and months.