President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki met behind closed door on Tuesday afternoon at the State House in Abuja just as it emerged that the 2016 the former presented to the National Assembly on December 22, 2015 was missing.
Attempts by journalists to confirm the missing budget were unproductive as Saraki did not make any comment when asked.
The Senate was scheduled to commence deliberation on the proposed budget on Tuesday, but Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, shocked lawmakers at a closed-door session, when he told them the budget documents could not be found.
He therefore explained to his colleagues that deliberation on the budget could not begin until fresh copies of the documents were obtained from Aso Rock.
Chairman, Senate Committee of Appropriation, Danjuma Goje, was subsequently mandated to lead a search for the documents and liaise with the Presidency via the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang, and other relevant officers.
There were speculations that the Presidency might have colluded with the management of the National Assembly to quietly withdraw the documents after detecting some discrepancies in it.
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, has however rubbished such claims.
While admitting that amendments were made to the budget proposal, Adesina insisted that there was never a move to withdraw it.
“Yes, some amendments were made to the Budget, but it was never withdrawn.
“The SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Enang, will be in a better position to brief you on the development.
“But he had said so last week that we did not withdraw the Budget.
“That is the position.
“We did not withdraw the Budget,” Adesina said.
