The National Assembly says the Calabar-Lagos trans-coastal railway project wasn’t included in the 2016 Appropriation bill.
The lawmakers are asking President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the budget and send a supplementary budget for projects not captured in the interest of the suffering masses.
Since it was laid before both chambers of the National Assembly in December last year, the 2016 Appropriation bill has been subject of One controversy or the other.
News of a missing budget arising from alleged padding went viral, a development many keen watchers say was an embarrassment to the nation.
President Muhammadu Buhari reacted to the national embarrassment with the sack of key government officials.
Now, weeks after the budget was passed by the National Assembly, the Presidency is again crying foul; accusing the legislature of distorting the budget document.
The Presidency is primarily concerned about the alleged removal of the Calabar-Lagos trans-coastal railway line which the parliamentarians insist the project wasn’t included in the budget.
The lawmakers maintain that the National Assembly isn’t a rubber stamp body but is statutorily empowered to make necessary inputs into the budget.
The lawmakers warn that over reliance on civil servants could spell doom for the administration.
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