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Reps keep promise to Buhari, meet over 2016 budget
Obviously working towards promises made to the Presidency, and Nigerians, to resolve the budget impasse within the shortest possible time, the House of Representatives on Wednesday went into a closed door session over the issue.
The session which lasted over two hours featured discussions on the budget and how to address the “Grey areas ” as agreed with the President, Muhammadu Buhari in an earlier meeting he had with the principal officers of the National Assembly.
Though there was no briefing on what was discussed by members at the session as was the norm, it was gathered, that the lawmakers moved to resolve aspects of the budget which the Presidency have designated as part of the “grey areas.”
A source who pleaded anonymity said the Speaker briefed members on the meeting held with the president and pleaded with them to help ensure the issue of grey areas in the budget was resolved quickly.
Read also: Buhari meets World Bank over economy (Photos)
Ripples Nigeria was reliably informed that one of the things agreed in the closed door session was to scale down amounts added to the estimates brought by the MDAs under different subheads.
Though the lawmakers had earlier insisted that the National Assembly has the power of appropriation and the prerogative to add or subtract from the Executive’s estimates, members were said to be in agreement that in order for the budget to be assented to by the President, there might be a need to back down from their previous position.
“Members agreed that the offensive additions on the part of the Representatives would be drastically reduced,” he said.
The Speaker was said to have told members that three committees have been set up from the Senate, House and the Executive to work on the details to ensure a speedy transmission to the President to allow him assent to it with the next few days.
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