- Lai Mohammed has said that he did not speak of any confusion in the presidency over 2017 budget
- Mohammed say the news making the rounds is a misinterpretation of his speech
- The minister has labelled the misinterpretation as malicious
Alhaji Lai Mohammed has reacted to reports suggesting that he said Nigeria's Federal government is at a loss over who will sign the 2017 budget.
The minister of information claims he never made such a statement.
He said his earlier state ment on the budget issue was missinterpreted.
The minister made the clarification via a press statement by his aide, Segun Adeyemi.
Mohammed maintained that detractors of the government are cooking up malicious misrepresentations.
He noted that what transpired at the post-Federal Executive Council Meeting press briefing earlier on Wednesday, May 17, has been taken out of contest.
Lai Mohammed said that when he was asked a question relating to the signing of the 2017 Budget, his response was: "When it is transmitted to the Presidency, the issue will be addressed.”
He further stressed that “anything beyond that response amounts to deliberate mischief and should be ignored.”
Lai Mohammed says some detractors of the FG are cooking up malicious misinterpretations of his statement
NAIJ.com earlier reported that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo was yet to receive the 2017 budget from the National Assembly over 24 hours after it was passed.
Daily Trust quoted a source at the presidency as revealing this adding that the budget was being expected.
The source said the presidency would commence scrutiny of the document once the National Assembly forwarded it.
The minister of information and culture on Wednesday, May 17, said the National Assembly has yet to transmit the 2017 Appropriation Bill passed into law last week to the presidency.
Mohammed fielding questions from State House correspondents at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting said thatthe decision on who signs the Appropriation Bill into law would be decided when the document is finally transmitted.
NAIJ.com gathered that the minister said that an advanced copy of the budget has been received by the minister of budget and national planning.
In a similar vein, the presidency has promised that the 2017 budget will be signed immediately by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo when it gets to them.
According to a report by Vanguard, the presidency assured that it would not hesitate to perform the all-important ritual.
The presidency however stated that the Clerk of the National Assembly was yet to transmit the document, even as it says it is anxiously waiting for it to arrive at Aso Rock.
Below is a video in which Nigerians react to the allocation for health within the Nigerian budget
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