The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, yesterday promised early passage of the 2017 Appropriation Bill. Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the signing ceremony of the 2016 budget at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Saraki called for early work on the 2017 budget in order to prevent the delays experienced with the 2016 budget.
He said: “One is the fact that the process will start early. Don’t forget the fact that the government only came in May of last year. We have a long time now to prepare. The government is in place, the new appointments and those in National Assembly are in place, I’m sure it will not be like this. Saraki said the 2016 Budget will ensure that a minimum of 30 per cent goes into capital and boost the diversification policy of the government.
“Our journey here has been rather bumpy but I believe that that is not only in Nigeria. All over the world, the legislation on appropriation and budgeting is the most important legislation,” he said in reference to the controversy that attended the handling of the appropriation bill by the National Assembly.
