Jonathan signs 2013 Appropriation Bill into law

AFTER weeks of dilly-dallying with the leadership of the National National Assembly, President  Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday signed the N4.99trillion 2013 Appropriation Bill into law at a ceremony attended by Senate President David Mark and Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

This followed agreement between the president and the leadership of the National Assembly for the National Assembly to consider the president’s observations on the budget by the executive through a legislative action.

The signing ceremony was not open to the media but according to a statement issued at the end of it by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, the signing arose from consultations and an agreement between the Executive and the Legislature.
According to the statement, President Jonathan reassured Nigerians that the consultations had been in the best interest of the country, and in pursuit of understanding and mutual cooperation between both arms of government.

“As part of the understanding reached with its leadership, the observations of the executive arm of government about the Appropriation Bill, as passed by the National Assembly, will be further considered by the National Assembly through legislative action, to ensure effective and smooth implementation of the 2013 Appropriation Act in all aspects,” the statement said.

It noted further that the administration remained committed to the transformation of the country and effective and efficient service delivery for the benefit of all citizens.

All ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government have, therefore, been directed to work hard to ensure that all the services, projects and programmes contained in the budget were successfully delivered on schedule, in spite of the slight delay in its enactment, it added.

Also at the ceremony were the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Minister of National Planning, Dr Shamsudeen Usman; Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Affairs, Senator Joy Emordi; the Director-General, Budget Office, Dr Bright Okongwu and the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Professor Nwanze Okidegbe.

President Jonathan had withheld his assent, following the perceived padding of the budget by the National Assembly in a way the executive thought rendered it impossible to implement.
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