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By Adetutu Folasade-Koyi
In a bid to resolve the impasse over the N6.06 trillion 2016 budget, President Muhammadu Buhari met with his deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma yesterday night.
The meeting would be the first formal meeting between the trio on the lingering controversy between the Presidency and the National Assembly over alleged padding of the budget after Buhari returned from China.
Two weeks ago, the National Assembly transmitted the budget to Buhari for assent but, some discrepancies prevented the president from signing the document.
For instance, the N60 billion vote for the Lagos-Calabar rail project was yanked off by the lawmakers.
The money was distributed to other projects in the budget which did not have the nod of the Presidency.
Thereafter, the lawmakers turned around and blamed Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi for padding the budget. But, he was exonerated by Udoma who explained that, although, the project was not in the initial document submitted to the National Assembly for consideration, it was included in the new version submitted to them early this year.
The meeting, yesterday night, may be to stave off a constitutional crisis if the president does not sign the budget and also, does not return it to the National Assembly on or before April 23.
The budget was transmitted to him on March 23.
In the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the National Assembly can veto the Appropriation Bill if the president takes no action after 30 days.
