President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed the integrity of the National Assembly in the budget process, stating that their actions were above board.
During a dinner to break the Ramadan fast with the Senate leadership at the State House on Thursday in Abuja, the president addressed concerns about alleged padding of the 2024 budget.
“Those who are talking about malicious embellishment in the budget; they did not understand the arithmetic and did not refer to the baseline of what I brought. But your integrity is intact,” Tinubu said.
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“I know the arithmetic of the budget and the numbers that I brought to the National Assembly, and I know what numbers came back. I appreciate all of you for the expeditious handling of the budget. Thank you very much,” he said, adding “I am grateful for what you have been doing.”
Tinubu acknowledged the expeditious handling of the budget by the National Assembly and expressed his appreciation for their cooperation in advancing the nation’s interests.
Senator Abdul Ningi from Bauchi State alleged that the Senate inserted bogus projects worth N3 trillion into the 2024 budget. The Senator was suspended from the Senate as a result of the allegation and resigned as the chairman of the Northern Senators Forum over the same issue.
On security matters, Tinubu vowed that killers of military personnel in a Delta community would face the full wrath of the law to curtail attacks on military and security infrastructure.
He stated that the military would continue to enjoy the support of his administration in eliminating security threats across the country.
“Our armed forces are working hard, and we will not allow attackers to undermine the integrity and value of our armed forces and its leadership,” Tinubu said.
“We will continue to encourage and fight for our sovereignty, our individual rights to exist, and we will succeed in banishing poverty from our land.”
The president also touched on the current economic difficulties, expressing optimism that the situation would improve. “We are about turning the corner. Our revenue has improved. All we have to do is to control expenditure and manage ourselves better,” he said.
Tinubu thanked the National Assembly for their prompt attention to the Student Loan Amendment Bill and urged more tolerance, forgiveness, and charity during Ramadan.
In response, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, assured the president of the Senate’s continuous collaboration, noting that regular interactions would enhance understanding and productive governance.