Budget controversy: Senate issues warning to presidency, blasts Amaechi

– The Senate has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the 2016 budget without any further delay

– Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said though there were discrepancies in the budget, it is not enough excuse not to sign the budget into law

– The Red chamber maintained that Lagos-Calabar rail project was not included in the budget proposal presented to the National Assembly

– The Senate demanded a public apology from Rotimi Amaechi, minister of works, if he is not able to show evidence that the Lagos-Calabar road project was included in the budget

The Senate has reacted to the controversy trailing the removal of some capital projects including the Lagos to Calabar rail line from the 2016 budget.

Warning the presidency to stop trying to cover up its serial errors, the Senate demanded it come clean with Nigerians on the budget, Daily Post reports.

Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the chairman of Senate committee on media and public affairs said: “We make bold to say, however, that the said Lagos-Calabar rail project was not included in the budget proposal presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari and we challenge anyone who has any evidence to the contrary to present such to Nigerians.

“Since the beginning of the 2016 budget process, it is clear that the National Assembly has suffered all manners of falsehood, deliberate distortion of facts, and outright blackmail, deliberately aimed at poisoning the minds of the people against the institution of the National Assembly. We have endured this with equanimity in the overall interest of Nigerians. Even when the original submission was surreptitiously swapped and we ended up having two versions of the budget, which was almost incomprehensible and heavily padded in a manner that betrays lack of coordination and gross incompetence, we refused to play to the gallery and instead helped the Executive to manage the hugely embarrassing situation it has brought upon itself; but enough is enough.”

READ ALSO: Exclusive: Presidency denies rejecting 2016 budget

Abdullahi maintained that though there were discrepancies in the budget, it is not enough excuse not to sign the budget into law.

“We, therefore, urge President Buhari to sign the 2016 budget without any further delay. For every additional day that the president withholds his assent from the bill, the hardship in the land, which is already becoming intolerable for the masses of our people gets even more complicated. Certainly, as primary representatives of the people we shall not vacate our responsibility and watch the people continue to suffer unduly,” he stated.

Abdullahi described the antics of Rotimi Amaechi, the minister of transportation as reckless and uncalled for.

According to him, it not only sets the people of the southern part of the country against their northern compatriots, but also has the potential to set the people against their lawmakers and lawmakers against themselves.

“We hereby demand from Mr. Amaechi a publicly tendered apology if he is not able to show evidence that the Lagos-Calabar road project was included in the budget. Otherwise, he should resign forthwith,” the Senate said.

READ ALSO: Nigerians react to controversial #Budget2016

Abdullahi said the National Assembly had worked hard and came out with a coherent document out of the excessively flawed budget proposal submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“If the presidency expects us to return the budget proposal to them without any adjustments, then some people must be living in a different era and probably have not come to terms with democracy,” he added.

Earlier today, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, the chairman, Senate committee on land and transport, cleared the air on budget controversy. He spoke on the removal of Lagos to Calabar railway modernisation projects, saying it was not in the original document that the executive presented to the National Assembly.

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has released a throwback video, showing Amaechi defending the Lagos-Calabar railway project.

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