President to receive 2018 budget Friday, says Saraki

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Friday receive the 2018 budget a week after its passage by the National Assembly, Senate President Bukola Saraki disclosed.

Saraki made this known to State House correspondents after the breaking of (Ramadan) fast with Buhari at the President Villa, Abuja on Thursday.

Saraki explained that the delay in transmission of the budget to the president was informed by the fact that the two chambers of the National Assembly had passed different figures last week.

He, however, confirmed that the two chambers had harmonised the figures and concluded the exercise on Wednesday.

He said: “I think that should have been done, we had to harmonise, its just a slight difference, it has been passed yesterday (Wednesday).

“It was in the rules and proceedings of today. So, I am sure by tomorrow, we will transmit it to the Presidency.’’

Saraki thanked the President for inviting them for the breaking of fast and expressed the hope that the event would further enhance the existing cordial relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the senate increased the 2018 budget from N8.612 trillion as proposed by Buhari to N9.12 trillion.

The senate also increased the crude oil benchmark price pegged for the budget from 45 dollars per barrel to 50.5 dollars per barrel.