President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday signed the 2016 Appropriation Bill into law after weeks of face-off between the Executive and the National Assembly.
The budget was signed at a brief ceremony held inside the President’s office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Those in attendance were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President Bukola Saraki; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, and chairmen of the Appropriation Committees of both chambers of the National Assembly.
Others were the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang; and Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Samaila Kawu.
The 2016 budget estimates suffered several delays after claims and counter claims from both the legislature and executive arms, each accusing the other of padding.
Buhari returned the budget to the lawmakers, saying key projects were removed and others not in the estimates he submitted were added.
A meeting was held last week with the leadership of the National Assembly last week after which a committee was formed to look at all “grey areas” and harmonise them in time for the President’s assent.
Buhari received a “clean” copy of the budget on Thursday which he finally signed on Friday.
