2013 budget Face-off Continues - Jonathan to return Budget to House

Rather than assent to the N4.987 trillion 2013 budget forwarded to him for assent in the third week of January, President Goodluck Jonathan will this week return the document to the National Assembly. The President presented a N4.902 trillion budget to a joint sitting of the federal legislature last October.

He has, however, refused to sign the budget because of some “discrepancies” and “anomalies” which were hitherto not in the document submitted to the National Assembly.

Although the National Assembly is unhappy that the document is being returned, plans are afoot to “adjust” the budget when it is eventually returned. Sources said yesterday that “the budget will definitely be returned this week. The President has already notified the National Assembly that the budget, as passed, cannot be implemented in its present form.

There have been several meetings to that effect and already, the Appropriation Committees in both chambers are already working on the figures to adjust in the budget when it is eventually returned.” Besides, it was learnt that three areas of contention in the budget have been highlighted by the two arms of government: the zero budget for the Securities and Exchange Commission ((SEC), a clause on capital budget implementation in 2013 and allocations for constituency projects of federal lawmakers.

The Presidency is reportedly angry that the lawmakers gave preference for their constituency projects over and above capital projects presented by the executive. National Assembly sources said that “lawmakers have already told the executive that they have the constitutional right to work on the budget.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/jonathan-returns-2013-budget-as-face-off-with-nassembly-worsens/