I Don’t Know Who Will Sign 2017 Budget —- Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says there is no decision yet on who will assent to the 2017 budget.

He said this on Wednesday while addressing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

Reacting to a question on whether the budget will be signed by Osinbajo or taken to President Muhammadu Buhari in London, the minister said: “When it (the budget) is transmitted to the Presidency, that decision (on who to sign) will be taken‎.”

Lai Mohammed confirmed that the budget which was passed last Thursday by the National Assembly had not been formally transmitted to the executive.

He, however, disclosed that the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, had received the advance copy

Mohammed also stated that if there were any discrepancies in the budget presented and the one passed, the executive would report to Udoma for harmonisation.

He said: “In respect on the budget, it was only this morning that the Minister of National Planning informed the council that the budget has been passed. He has not sent to us individually, copies of the passed budget.

“We now need to look at it against what we sent, and if there is any discrepancies, we will report back to the Minister of Budget and National Planning on harmonization.”

On whether the National Assembly had transmitted the budget to executive, he said: “Not yet, but at least, the minister of budget and national planning‎ has gotten an advanced copy of what was passed and that is what we need to look at and compare to what we sent. It has not been transmitted officially to the Presidency.”