President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the 2022 Appropriation Bill of seventeen point one hundred and twenty-six trillion naira into law.
The President signed the budget presented to him by his Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly, Senator Babajide Omoworare, at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
President Buhari, however, frowned at some changes as well as major additions and reductions made by the National Assembly in some projects.
He also expressed his reservations on the inclusion of new provisions totaling thirty-six point fifty nine billion for National Assembly’s projects in the Service Wide Vote, which he said negated the principles of separation of powers and financial autonomy of the Legislative arm of government.
President Buhari said most of the projects inserted relate to matters that are basically the responsibilities of state and local governments and do not appear to have been properly conceptualized and designed.
President Buhari said he would revert to the National Assembly with a request for an amendment as soon as the lawmakers return from their recess.
In his response, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan told State House Correspondents that the lawmakers were right in their decisions.
Lawan said the reservations of the Executive are not unusual and may not necessarily coincide with that of the legislature.