Ali Ndume-- 2016 budget cannot be missing .

 Nigerian Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has said there is no way the 2016 budget could be missing.

Ndume, who was alleged to have told his colleagues that the soft and hard copies of 2016 budget was missing from the National Assembly, has denied the claim. Reacting to the story of the missing budget, the Senate leader at an executive session, yesterday, cleared that there was a ceremonial copy laid by President Muhammadu Buhari before the National Assembly, while each chamber also has its own copy of the budget proposal.

“Budget cannot be missing. One copy can be laid. It is a symbolic copy. The budget will be in custody of both chambers. It cannot be stolen. It cannot be missing,” Ndume said.

The senate leader who refused to confirm if the ceremonial copy laid before the National Assembly by the President is missing, added, “Once the budget is laid in the National Assembly, it has become the property of the National Assembly. Reaction to the close door meeting between President Buhari and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Ndume said the visit of Saraki was in relation to the work that is about to commence by the Senators on the budget.

“Saraki’s visit to the Villa is for the Senate to know the President’s priority.
“Once the President signs it, it cannot be amended. We can turn the budget upside down.

“We want to see how we can fast-track the passage of the budget before the end of February. What is before the Senate is a proposal, it cannot be missing,” Ndume affirmed.

DAILY POST recalls that the Senate President had refused to confirm or refute report of the missing budget when he was confronted by journalists after his meeting with President Buhari on Tuesday.

DAILY POST.

Tweet