Buhari urged to speak on budget controversy

A lawyer and former National Secretary of Labour Party (LP), Kayode Ajulo, has insisted that only President Muhammadu Buhari is in a position to douse the controversy surrounding the circulation of a version of this year’s Appropriation Bill different from the one he laid before a joint sitting of the Senate and House of Representatives in December last year.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja yesterday, Ajulo urged the executive and the legislature to seek ways of resolving the issue with a view to moving the country forward.

On his part, a member of the House of Representative, representing Ohaozara/Ivo/Onicha Federal Constituency and Chairman of its Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions, Linus Okorie, described the controversy as a shame to the senate and federal government.

Okorie wondered how a government which promised change could now “bring shame to Nigerians,” stressing that this is against the anti-corruption campaign of the administration.

On the allegation that the document has been doctored, Ajulo said: “That is the issue, but we have to look for means of resolving the controversy and the only way we can have that solution is to call on Mr. President himself to testify, because he is the producer of that Bill. If there is a controversy over a doctored copy sent to the Senate, Mr. President is alive and he can say which one is original or not.”

He dismissed any legal implication over the said doctoring, pointing out that the document remained a draft and open to adjustment until it is signed into law.

Ajulo however said the whole issue has to do with nomenclature. “Let us be sincere with ourselves, when it comes to the word ‘missing,’ I believe the nomenclature ‘missing’ is out of it.

“This is the 21st century and there is no way a budget would be missing. We cannot rule out the fact that fifth columnists will try to play with the hard copy, as presented, but I believe this issue was from somewhere.
“The way it has the hard copy, so it has the soft copy also and same thing can be printed from the computer,” Ajulo stated.

He added: “So, I don’t want to believe that anything is missing. When we look at the legal implications, the constitution is so clear that Mr. Present can re-present the budget.

“The budget is more of a financial proposal for the year and when it is proposed, you cannot call it the real document that the country will work with. Since the principle of checks and balances is enshrined in our constitution, it is the duty of our executive to prepare the budget, while the legislature checks and makes adjustments where necessary.

“But until that Appropriation Bill, which some of us call budget, is passed and signed into law, it remains subject to adjustment. What will be an issue is when the real law is missing, but there is no way such a document could be said to be missing.”

Ajulo said Nigeria plays politics with every issue. “Ordinarily, it is a very simple thing. When it comes to our political gladiators, they can play politics with anything, but in a situation where the Senate President is raising the issue that what was presented is different from what Ita Enang is presenting, then let the President react. He is alive. Let him come and identify which is the correct version.

“I want to say that I do not see any problem with the President making adjustment before the budget is signed. When I heard earlier this month that the proposed bill was missing or that the President has withdrawn it, I believe it is the part of withdrawal that we do not have to play politics with.

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