Chairman, Senate Committee on Media And Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi
Abdullahi has said that no statement made by any Senator during the
plenary today can be interpreted to mean an admission that the 2016 budget
is missing.
He said there is no budget missing and that the Senate will tomorrow
(Thursday) distribute copies of the budget to all the Senators so as to
arm them to properly contribute to the debate which will take place
between Tuesday. January 19 to Thursday, January 21, 2015.
Already, all senators have indicated the date they will make their own
contribution on the budget.
Abdullahi stated that during today’s plenary when Senator Eyinaya Abaribe
sought for clarification on the story in the media surrounding the
information that the copy of the 2016 budget submitted to the Senate was
missing and sought to know update on the issue. The Senate President
replied that the issue he (Abaribe) mentioned and all issues emanating
from the executive sessions are being looked into by an adhoc committee
and that all Senators should wait for the committee to submit its report.
“We have reeled out our time table for working on the budget. So, how can
the same budget be missing? The Senate President never said or admitted
that the budget is missing and there was nothing that he said while
presiding over the plenary that could be logically interpreted to mean am
admission that the budget is missing.
“The media should please avoid unnecessary sensationalism. We assure
Nigerians that our time table of completing work on the budget by February
ending remains sacrosanct and we will work assiduously to achieve it”, he
said.