I Didn't Say the 2016 Budget Was Missing - Senate Leader, Ndume

Posted by Thandiubani on Wed 13th Jan, 2016 - tori.ng

Nigerian Senate Leader, Senator Muhammed Ndume has bluntly denied the news making rounds that the 2016 Budget was missing as many have said he is trying to save face.

Senator Muhammed Ndume

After news went viral that Nigerian Senate Leader, Senator Muhammed Ndume allegedly told his colleagues that the soft and hard copies of 2016 budget was missing from the National Assembly at an executive session on Tuesday, the embarrassed senator has denied the claim.

Reacting to the news of the missing 2016 Budget, Ndume said there is no way it can go missing. According to him, there is the ceremonial copy laid by President Muhammadu Buhari before the National Assembly while each chamber also has its own copy of the budget proposal.

Some still believe that the ceremonial copy laid before the National Assembly has gone missing as many believe his latest utterance is to save face.

However, the senator still maintain that the budget was not missing.

“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.

“Once the budget is laid in the National Assembly, it has become the property of National Assembly" Ndume said.

Senate President Bukola Saraki had refused to confirm or refute report of the missing budget when he was confronted by journalists after a meeting with President Buhari on Tuesday, PMnews reports.

However, the Senate leader said the visit of Saraki was also in relation to the work that is about to commence by the Senators on the budget:

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