Buhari warns against budget alterations, insist NASS passes, returns N20.51tn budget as presented

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday challenged National Assembly members to ensure the passage of the N20.51 trillion budget for the 2023 as he presented to the two chambers of the federal legislature. He lamented the alteration of eh budget by the lawmakers and adjustment of allocations for MDAs without consultations is against the rules of the budgeting process.

According to the President,  “I would like to implore the leadership of the National Assembly to ensure that the budget I lay here today, which includes those of the GOEs, be returned to the Presidency when passed.

“The current practice where some committees of the National Assembly purport to pass budgets for GOEs, which are at variance with the budgets sanctioned by me and communicate such directly to the MDAs is against the rules and needs to stop.”

President Buhari presented N20.51 trillion budget, tagged ‘Budget of Fiscal Consolidation and Transition’ to the two chambers of the National Assembly.

The budget allocated N8.27 trillion to non-debt recurrent costs, N5.35 trillion for capital expenditure, N1.1 trillion for overhead costs and N744.11 billion earmarked for statutory transfers.