Nigeria’s House of Representatives has agreed to take a second look at the controversial 2016 budget with a view to resolving areas of disagreement.
And arising from the fall out of alleged tucking in of more than N4bn into the budget, the House has now barred its Appropriation Committee Chairman, Abdulmumin Jubrin from talking to the press.
Many Nigerians expected the controversy trailing the 2016 budget to top the lower chamber’s agenda on Tuesday, upon its resumption from the Easter break but it chose to keep mute on the matter
Instead, the legislators chose Wednesday,the day after, to address the uneasy quiet among members over the 2016 budget.
The House withdrew into a closed door meeting shortly after converging.
TVC News learnt that for about three hours, the 2016 budget and Abdulmumin’s alleged allocation of more than N4bn to himself drew anger from his colleagues.
Some of the Lawmakers called for his resignation as Appropriation Committee Chairman.
Jubrin himself confirmed to journalists off camera that he has been axed from talking to the media on the budget.
At the end of the closed door meeting, Speaker Yakubu Dogara disclosed that the House will be revisiting the budget in the interest of the suffering masses.
At a question and answer session with newsmen, Abdulrasaq Namdas wouldn’t confirm whether there were calls for Jubrin’s resignation, claiming on the other hand that he remains the only one authorised to speak on behalf Of the lower chamber.
The House has also insisted the Presidency didn’t return the budget.
In line with the Constitution and the House rules, a budget already passed but yet to be assented to by the President cannot be amended.
The only option open to the Presidency is to submit a supplementary budget to the National Assembly for consideration and assent.
