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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The 2023 budget proposal has received the support of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for onward presentation to the National Assembly.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina revealed this to State House Correspondents at the end of Wednesday’s meeting of the Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Adesina said President Buhari will lay the budget proposal before a joint sitting of the National Assembly on Friday, 7th October.
“It was virtually a one-item Federal Executive Council meeting in which the budget proposals for 2023 were presented and discussed at length. That budget proposal would be taken to the National Assembly on Friday morning by the President,” he said.
He, however, declined to give details of the Council’s decision, as a mark of respect for the National Assembly.
“It will not be proper to begin to discuss the content of what will be officially presented on Friday. We want to give the National Assembly the honour of receiving it first then there will be a breakdown on a later date by the Minister of Finance,” he added.
Meanwhile, the presidential spokesman has explained why Council is not yet in full flow now that COVID-19 has been declared over in the country.
According to Adesina, “You know, you have to follow the protocols, as done by the steering committee on COVID-19 and the last protocols they announced was that when you are in an open place, you are at liberty to do without your mask, but when you are in an enclosed place, then it is advisable to still use your mask.
“The Council Chambers is enclosed, there are, I think 42 ministers, by the time 42 ministers congregate there, along with other Cabinet Office staff, it’s becoming choked. Then it may not be advisable to have a full-blown physical meeting yet, but I’m sure we’ll get to that point,” he explained.
