Acting President will assent to 2017 immediately it is received-Presidency

The Presidency last night promised to give the 2017 budget the urgency it merits by signing it into law immediately it is transmitted to it.

It assured that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo would not hesitate to perform the all-important ritual.

The Presidency however said that the Clerk of the National Assembly was yet to transmit the document, stating that it is anxiously waiting for it arrival to the Presidential Villa.

Recall that the Parliament passed the Appropriation Bill into law on Thursday last week.

It is now waiting to be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent.

Notedly, the budget presented in December 2016 before the two chambers of the national assembly with an estimate of N7.28 trillion had been raised to N7.44 trillion by the federal lawmakers.

Details of the budget showed that N434.4 billion was appropriated for statutory transfers to the National Judicial Council (N100 billion); Niger Delta Development Commission (N64.02 billion); Universal Basic Education (N95.2 billion); National Assembly (N125 billion); Public Complaints Commission (N4 billion); INEC (N45 billion); and National Human Rights Commission (N1.2 billion).

Speaking, a top presidency source assured Nigerians of speedy presidential assent to the Bill especially as the life of the 2016 budget had elapsed early last week.

“The budget has not been officially transmitted to us yet…so until it is transmitted formally by the Clerk of the National Assembly we should not be discussing signing.

“But the Presidency is keenly awaiting the budget and we have assurances that it is on its way. We shall act with urgency and promptly when we get it”, the source said.