Saraki reveals how SSA to President Buhari, Ita Enang replaced 2016 budget

saraki

Facts have emerged as to the whereabouts of 2016 budget proposals which was presented to the joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Facts have emerged as to the whereabouts of 2016 budget proposals which was presented to the joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has admitted on Thursday that the Senior Special Adviser to the President, Senator Ita Enang removed the original copy and replaced with a different copy, different from the one presented by President Buhari.

“The Committee which was set up have investigated and the report shows that the Senior Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang had withdrawn the original copy and replaced with another one that has conflicting figures,” Saraki said.

Saraki made this disclosure at Thursday’s plenary after the senate’s two hours closed door meeting.

Also speaking after the brief session, Senate Spokesman, Aliyu Sabi insisted that the budget was not missing, but that the Senior Special Adviser to the President, Ita Enang withdrew the original one and replaced with a copy with a different figure, and that the Senate Committee had discovered some differences.

Sabi, however, added that he will not specifically point out areas of differences as the committee has been detailed to work further on that aspect.

“I will not be able to point out in specifics areas of differences, we should all be patient to see its outcome,” he added.

He also explained that the Senate was interested in seeing the original copy which would be made available in soft copy so as to guide them in the course of doing their work.

“The Senate will make copies of original ones as presented to the joint session by Mr. President and would work on it according,” he insisted.

According to him, “the presented copy has legal implications which the Senate has already taken cognizance of, hence, they will be guided,” he maintained.