President Muhammadu Buhari has thanked the national assembly for the timely passage of the appropriation bill for next year, Senate President Ahmad Lawan says.
While the House of Representatives passed the bill of N17.13 trillion on Tuesday, the Senate did same on Wednesday.
Mr Lawan who visited Mr Buhari at the presidential villa on Friday said the president invited him alongside Femi Gbajabiamila to appreciate the legislative arm of government.
“So, I want to thank Mr President for thanking the national assembly, because this is essentially the reason he invited the speaker and me to say that ‘national assembly, thank you very much for working with us, for making this budget 2022 pass in good time as you did for 2020 and 2021,” the top lawmaker said after the meeting.
He said the president might assent to budget next week.
“We’re very optimistic. In fact, we’re very sure that Mr President will sign the bill into an act of the national assembly next week by the grace of God,” he said. “And this is the way we should always work together. This is our third appropriation bill to be passed before we go on Christmas break.
“It has shown how important the passage and the assent to the budget before the end of the year has been. You will recall that we were in two or three different recessions. But public expenditure, which normally drives our economy as a developing economy, has always brought that advantage, made the availability of funds into the economy, and we can come out of the recess periods.”
