2016 Budget Impasse Over As Buhari Meets NASS Leadership

Executive-LegislatureThe stand-off between the executive and the legislature over the 2016 budget seems to be over with both arms resolving that the fiscal document be signed not later than next week.

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, made the disclosure last night while speaking to State House correspondents shortly after a meeting President Muhammadu Buhari held with the leadership of the National Assembly.

According to Saraki, the meeting agreed on the way forward to the budget impasse and that the process would be completed in few days’ time.

“We just finished a meeting with the president and the vice president. We came to let them know some of the solutions that we found in moving the budget process forward and we are happy to say that we have agreed on the way forward and we believe that this process will be completed in matter of days rather than weeks. So it is good to Nigerians and all of us, we have found a way forward; and in a matter of days, the budget will be ready for president’s assent”, he said.

On what he meant by the way forward, the Senate president, who led the legislative arm to the meeting, said: “We have committed that have been set up on our side and also on the executive side, we will engage over the next few days, to just tidy up a few loose ends here and there, and the outcome will be satisfactory to everybody”.

Budget and National Planning Minister, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, who was also at the meeting, said both arms of government had agreed to work together to resolve all issues in the next few days.

Our correspondent reports that the meeting was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; Buhari’s SSAs on National Assembly Matters (Senate and House of Representatives); Mr. Udoma, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Lasun Yusuf and Senate Majority Leader, Ali Ndume.