Nothing like budget padding – Buhari’s aide

chika ebuzor

August 10, 2016 5:27 AM

Enang spoke to journalists after appearing before the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership.

Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Abdulmumin Jibrin

The Senior Special Assistant to

“In all our years of legislative engagement, we have yet to find in the legislative lexicon the word, ‘padding.’ When the budget is presented before the legislature, the legislature is to consider the budget and pass as it deems fit.

“So, what the legislature passes becomes the Appropriation Act upon assent. Therefore, any word which has yet to crystallise in legislative lexicon, you cannot hear us mention it," he said.

Enang said this after appearing before the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership to state the Presidency’s stand in the ongoing budget padding scandal rocking the House of Representatives.

He also said “We have given explanation on every issue. There is nothing, to our knowledge, like padding of the budget. The budget, as assented to by the President, is the budget passed by the National Assembly and it is being executed.

“For now, the party is handling it as a domestic issue; a party issue. All of us have been told not to make public comments because the matter is still under consideration.

“We will not want to go into the details so that we will not breach the party’s directive or pre-empt the outcome of the party’s probe.’’

READ: Budget Padding Scandal‘: Senate is involved too,’ Lawmaker says

Abdulmumin Jibrin accused the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers of padding the 2016 budget.

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chika ebuzor