PRESIDENCY AGAIN DENIES WITHDRAWING 2016 BUDGET

The Presidency on Tuesday again said President Muhammadu Buhari has not withdrawn the 2016 Budget from the National Assembly.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said this in his reaction to enquiries made on the whereabouts of the document.

There were reports earlier in the day that the document had been declared missing in the National Assembly.

But Shehu said the executive arm of government delivered copies of the budget in hundreds to the two chambers of the National Assembly.

He said since the document has ceased being the property of the executive the moment Buhari presented it to the National Assembly, enquiries about its whereabouts should be directed to the appropriate quarters.

He said, “Nobody except the President can withdraw the budget.

“As far as we know, he hasn’t done that.

“The copies in their hundreds have been delivered to both chambers of the National Assembly.

“By tradition, once the budget is submitted, it ceases to be our property.

“Enquiries as to where it is should be directed to the appropriate quarters.”