I will sign 2017 budget – Osinbajo

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said last night that he would assent to the 2017 budget.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed had earlier told State House reporters after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by Osinbajo that the decision on who to sign the budget would be taken when the document is transmitted to the Presidency.

But Osinbajo, via a Twitter statement by his spokesman Laolu Akande, said the question on who would sign the budget was clear.

According to the statement, when the time comes, everything is set and he is satisfied, the acting president will sign the budget.

“Just so we are clear: when the time comes, everything is set and he is satisfied, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo will assent to the 2017 budget,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has denied telling State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting that a decision was yet to be reached on who would sign the budget.

He said the budget which was passed last Thursday by the National Assembly had not been formally transmitted to the Executive.

He, however, disclosed that the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, had received the advance copy.

Mohammed also stated that if there were any discrepancies in the budget presented and the one passed, the Executive would report to Udoma for harmonisation.

He said the Ministry of Budget and National Planning would “make the implementation of the 2016 budget public. They have told us that about N1.2 trillion was released for capital.”