Fuel subsidy: Senators, Reps battle Okonjo-Iweala •Raise questions over 2012 capital votes •Jonathan wants strict budget implementation

PRESIDING officers of the National Assembly met with President Goodluck Jonathan and the Coordinating Minister in charge of the economy, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in Abuja on Monday,
where they deliberated on the modalities and framework for the 2012 budget.
 Sources at the meeting disclosed that the chairmen of standing committees in the Senate and House of Representatives alongside the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, raised questions regarding the decision of the government to implement the removal of oil subsidy starting from 2012.
Two separate letters from the Chief of Staff to President Jonathan, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe and the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi, had invited the lawmakers to the meeting, which was principally to be addressed by Okonjo-Iweala.
President Jonathan was present at the meeting as the moderator.
It was confirmed that a number of committee chairmen sought explanations on the planned removal of fuel subsidy and also queried whether the administration had analysed the implications of the fuel subsidy removal on the common man.
Senate spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who confirmed the meeting at a media briefing in the Senate on Tuesday, said that the meeting was more of an interaction.
He said that the meeting was not a decision-making one, but an avenue to take the senators and members of the House through the parameters used in computing the budget.
It was, however, gathered that the minister of finance came under serious questioning from the senators and Reps committee chairmen, who asked her to expedite action on the over 6,000 abandoned capital projects.
It was gathered that the senators and the Rep members refused to commit themselves to a decision on the fuel subsidy removal, opting to leave the decision to the floor of the two chambers.
President Jonathan, who was said to have insisted on his plan to  present the budget to a joint sitting of the National Assembly  in November, said he preferred a strict adherence to a budget circle of January to December so as to monitor and curtail waste.