Lawmakers not responsible for padding 2016 budget - Rep Namdas

In fact, we should be commended for identifying some areas that became
problematic and we are working hand in hand with the executive to see how we
can solve this problem in the best interest of this country.
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The House of Representatives on Tuesday said that lawmakers were not
responsible for the padding of the 2016 budget proposal.
Rep. Abdulrazak Namdas (APC-Adamawa), the Chairman, House Committee on
Media and Public Affairs, said this when he visited the Headquarters of the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Namdas expressed concern over conflicting figures discovered in the budget
proposal, saying that the legislature was committed to addressing the anomalies.
He said that the sacking of some personnel in the Budget Office had vindicated
the lawmakers from the misconception that the National Assembly was
responsible for padding the budget.
" This problem is not with the National Assembly, so the padding is not done by the
National assembly.
"In fact, we should be commended for identifying some areas that became
problematic and we are working hand in hand with the executive to see how we can
solve this problem in the best interest of this country.
"And that is why we had to shift the idea of passing the budget by Feb. 25, because
we realised there were conflicting issues, ’’ Namdas said.
According to the lawmaker, NASS must tinker with the budget to address the
issues of conflicting figures.
" We realised that figures were not agreeing; some ministers disowned budgets that
were prepared by them and if you look at the quantum of the problem, we cannot just
pass this budget ,’’ Namdas said.