The Nigerian Tribune investigation at the Budget Office indicated that a lot of progress have been achieved in the on-going discussion on the grey areas between the Federal Government and the National Assembly in the last seventy two hours.
Though the meeting was hot, the Nigerian Tribune source however pointed out that the two parties agreed on the need to bring about an implementable budget and one that will speed up the process of economic development.
The source, who disclosed that some parts of the budget will still be forwarded to the National Assembly based on the agreed resolutions stated that this will not take much time as efforts were being intensified to ensure that the National Assembly receive the document for necessary correction.
Hope that President Jonathan will sign the budget last week was dashed when the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said President Doodluck Jonathan was not in a hurry to sign the budget into law.
In another development, Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Dr Nwanze Okidegbe has disclosed that President Jonathan is ready to sign budget 2013 into law once the ongoing discussions and reconciliation of figures with the National Assembly is completed.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, Okidegbe said the executive and a committee of the National Assembly is working to reconcile the grey areas, assuring Nigerians that both arms of government are making steady progress in making the budget a reality.
He explained that after the National Assembly passed the budget in December 2012,a review by the executive showed some grey areas which if unresolved may create implementation crisis, adding that “the president wants the issues resolved in a manner that will protect the best interests of the Nigerian people.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
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