Osinbajo’s N135bn virement faces N/Assembly delay

The virement request by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, faces delay by at least six weeks in the National Assembly, gathered.

Osinbajo had in separate letters to Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara requested the National Assembly to approve a virement of N135.6 billion in the 2017 budget.

Daily Trust reports that while Dogara read the letter last Thursday, Saraki is expected to read the letter today during Senate plenary session.

It was however gathered that consideration of the request will not commence until after the six weeks annual recess of the lawmakers.

A ranking lawmaker told our correspondents that the request may have to wait till September after the annual recess.

He said if the letter is referred to committee, it has to undergo further legislative procedures that would last for at least a week or so.

“There is nothing we can do on the virement until when we resume in September ending or so because the request has to be referred to committee and afterwards other legislative works would be done on it before it can be approved,” he said, pleading not to be named.

The lawmaker, who said there was nothing wrong in the acting president’s request, however declined comment on whether, it would be approved or not.

“The virement request can come anytime; in fact it can be a day after the assent to the budget. Virement and supplementary budget can come to us at any time and the executive has the right to do so in line with our Constitutional provisions,’’ he said.

But spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Abdulrazak Namdas (APC, Adamawa) told Daily Trust yesterday that the request would be considered this week.

“Yes, virement is supposed to be brought long after budget implementation begins, but remember there was an agreement. When the budget was transmitted to them (presidency), they made observations, and we agreed that they should bring virement if they have any issues. As people that honour agreements, we won’t renege on our promise to consider the virement request no matter the timing.

“But we have also made it clear to them that the budget must be implemented as it is, because it is already a law. Whatever comes after the virement, it will also be implemented,” he said.