The House of Representatives said on Sunday that the 2016 budget would require “thorough overhauling” by the National Assembly to bring it in tune with current economic realities.
It said it was unlikely that the N6.08tn budget would return to President Muhammadu Buhari in the same content and structure that it came to the National Assembly.
Buhari had laid the estimates before a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives in Abuja on Tuesday last week, amid tumbling prices of crude oil.
On Sunday, House Minority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, lent his voice to concerns on whether the budget was implementable.
Ogor said the President should know that whatever estimates he sent to the National Assembly were “mere proposals”, which might not stand eventually.
“What we have before us are mere proposals. None is sacrosanct.
“That is why we are the legislature, which has the power of appropriation.
“The proposals will be subjected to thorough overhauling, taking into cognisance the current economic realities of the country and our revenue expectations from funding sources,” Ogor added.
Also speaking with The PUNCH, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, said he had heard complaints about the crude oil benchmark, the cuts in the allocations of the National Assembly and the judiciary.
However, he clarified that the House had not taken a position on any issue yet since members were still observing the Christmas and New Year break.
Namdas also stated that the breakdown of the budget had not been made available to members; hence, it would be difficult to say how they would treat the proposals.
But, he confirmed that the budget would not be returned to Buhari the way it came.
He added, “We don’t have the details or breakdown as yet. The budget was laid and we proceeded on break immediately.
“It is only when we resume in January that work on the budget will start. It is hasty to say, yes, we will increase this allocation or reduce that one. No, I can’t say so now.
“But, one thing is certain, no budget ever returns to the executive the way it came to the National Assembly.”
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