Fear has now gripped some top officials of the National Assembly over the revelation that they hijacked the budget sent in by President Muhammadu Buhari and used their positions to distort the fiscal document by allocating huge projects worth billions of Naira to themselves under the guise of working on the budget.

The affected influential lawmakers in the two chambers of the NASS, are said to be worried that the action they took to corner substantial amount of money in the budget, using the platform of ‘Constituency Projects’ has been punctured by the refusal of the president to sign the budget without the details.

It was also gathered that the House of Representatives has agreed to address some of the concerns raised by the executive arm of government in the budget while some of the controversial allocations inserted into the budget by the principal officers for their constituencies would be redirected to finance other critical national projects.

The revelation has split the NASS into two factions, with one backing President Muhamadu Buhari while the other, is frontally opposed to him and his administration.

The ‘strong men’ of the NASS are reported to have cornered projects worth N1.6 billion each, leaving another level of committee men with N1.5 billion each and a general sum of N200 million for the ‘average’ or common member of the legislature.

This plot, Saturday Vanguard gathered, boomeranged when some loyalists of President Buhari, who were privy to the scheming of the powerful cabal in the NASS to change the budget for their own selfish interest, alerted him of the plot and cautioned him not to sign the budget when it eventually comes.

The President’s loyalists, who felt slighted but still played along with the ‘rebels’ in the NASS, promptly laid the antics of the cabals to the Presidency and it paid off even while Buhari was in far away Saudi Arabia at the time.

A Presidency source said that it was the tip-off by the loyalists in the NASS that informed Buhari’s insistence that he would study the budget approved by the NASS line by line, ministry by ministry before assenting to it.

Sources familiar with the development, told Saturday Vanguard that there was a serious rancour in the NASS over the disclosure that only a few members of the appropriation committees in the two chambers sat and decided on the budget and committed major distortions in the name of all the members.

Some of the lawmakers, who were left out of the budget ‘largesse’, are said to be ready to expose those involved to enable the Presidency sanction them as a deterrent to others.

One of the lawmakers, who cornered close to N2 billion projects for his constituency alone, is said to be worried about what steps Buhari might take against those involved in the budget distortions, in line with his vow to punish those who padded it.

However, Saturday Vanguard learnt that given the uproar that had greeted the 2016 budget, the NASS leadership had warned all members to sheath the sword and await the return of President Buhari from China.

One of the key functionaries of the administration hinted Saturday Vanguard that no further action would be taken by the NASS until they hear from the President on the subject matter.

It was learnt that Buhari might sanction those found to have exploited the budget for their selfish interest at the expense of the national interest.

“We have decided to put everything on hold until the President returns from China. On our part, we have declared a ceasefire for now,” one lawmaker from the north, said on Friday.

House agrees to address areas of concern

Meanwhile, following a meeting between the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President Muhammadu Buhari over the controversy generated on the details contained in the 2016 budget, the House has now agreed to address some of the concerns raised by the executive arm of government in the budget.

It will be recalled that following the imbroglio generated by the budget, the House of Representatives at the end of its executive session on Wednesday directed the speaker to meet with the president with a view to finding a common ground on the budget in the interest of Nigerians.

According to a source in the presidency, the meeting between the Speaker and the president over the budget took place on Wednesday night and had in attendance, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Ministers of Finance as well as Budget and National Planning, Kemi Adeosun and Senator Udoma Udoh Udoma and other key staff of the budget office.

The source who is privy to some of the decisions reached at the meeting told Saturday Vanguard that apart from reaching an agreement to accommodate some of the concerns of the executive over the budget, it was agreed that the over N4billion allegedly single handedly inserted into the budget for various projects in the constituency of the chairman of the House committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jubrin, would be redirected to the financing of other more pressing national projects. Another N3b illion allocated for projects in the speaker’s constituency would also be used to finance other critical national projects.

It was gathered that in order to placate the speaker, Hon. Abdulmumin had inserted the N3billion projects in the speaker’s constituency even when the speaker had expressly told him that he was not interested in having such huge amount for his constituency in one single budget.

The source who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak on the matter explained that the corrections expected to be carried out on the budget would be done at the committee level and would not necessarily have to go to the floor of the house again.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/budget-distortion-fear-grips-nass/

I have always said it that Saraki and his cronies are PMB's greatest obstacle in delivering the change which the President promised Nigerians..Thank God his days are numbered on that seat..His only hope now is Pa Chukwudi

I thought ipod members and chldren of hate justified the action of NASS.

So this has been going on for years and I'm very sure that during jonathan, it was a free money for all becos he was clueless and his finance minister has even come out to say he lacked the will to save.
In ur very own eyes, buhari will succeed and he will be there till 2023.

For ipod and children of hate, if u dare insult me, remember the report button is still very active.

This is serious

Saboteurs everywhere

Checkmate! When PMB refused to accede to the restructured budget of the NASS i knew he was up to something.
The present leadership of the NASS especially the Red chamber in the guise of unwarranted antagonism and filthiness has subjected the legislative arms to public ridicule and defiles the sanctity of the chamber.

This is the more reason why every progressive have to support the vacation of Saraki from the seat of the Senate Presidency because darkness cannot drive out darkness. He is too entangled and engulfed in corrupt practices to focus on just, generous and egalitarian legislation.

Brb

U mean NASS is afriad of pmb?.... Hahahahaha... If him NO take time na impeachment get am soon.

It's getting hawt out chea! Woooo!

Nigerians are suffering and these bastards still planning to steal. May God help this country. Our mentality needs change not the country.

How NASS go fear PMB? Chai Vanguard

Why are all exonerating Ameachi. NASS shouldn't be blamed for a ministry's error. Ameachi never included it in the budget. The all uprising in NASS over the missing Lagos-Calabar railway still amazes me.

We should put the blame on Ameachi for such fatal flaw.

drsteroid:
I have always said it that Saraki and his cronies are PMB's greatest obstacle in delivering the change which the President promised Nigerians..Thank God his days are numbered on that seat..His only hope now is Pa Chukwudi

Lol.

Even Pa Chukwudi cannot save Saraki's ass this time around. Saraki is like a time bomb now waiting not to explode but to be deactivated...

TPAND:
Why are all exonerating Ameachi. NASS shouldn't be blamed for a ministry's error. Ameachi never included it in the budget. The all uprising in NASS over the missing Lagos-Calabar railway still amazes me.

We should put the blame on Ameachi for such fatal flaw.

did u go to an arabic school? where in the post was the lagos -calabar rail mentioned? Listen more and talkless , thats a characteristic of a wise person

NASS MUST BE SCRAPPED!!!

Nelkoko:
U mean NASS is afriad of pmb?.... Hahahahaha... If him NO take time na impeachment get am soon.

Is like you don't know how powerful the president is?
Dey there dey deceive yourself......

TPAND:
Why are all exonerating Ameachi. NASS shouldn't be blamed for a ministry's error. Ameachi never included it in the budget. The all uprising in NASS over the missing Lagos-Calabar railway still amazes me.

We should put the blame on Ameachi for such fatal flaw.

See your hatred life!!!


You just hate Ameachi.

At first, no any missing budget, the real story was a secret call to amend it,but the senete started saying stolen budget while house of Rep were saying theirs was intact.

Later, Ameachi went and got it defended, I wonder why do they deduct from Ameachi part? They want to tag Ameachi as a controversial man.

While the northern NASS members were busy lobbying for projects, our southern NASS members were busy tweeting/defending alleged follow/pursuing Abuja aristoss/still sleeping in 2015 election/personal hatred passion for PBM and Ameachi rather fighting for their districts and constituency..........
The man call Ameachi.


God is always on his side............

The emergence of Buhari has opened our eyes to some of the reasons some politicians become instant billionaires once they get to Abuja. This is really appalling. And to think this is just a tip of the iceberg gives me cold chills.

Just see as everyone is shouting NASS.

The last time I checked, the perpetrators of such acts are major APC big wigs in the house, and also from the northern extraction, PMB's brothers and party members, my take is, why are they so bent on tarnishing his image? Why are they so bent on ridiculling him?

I also read it somewhere that PDP senators mainly from ss/se are in support of PMB's decisions of not signing the budget until everything is rectified.

Fooling yourself us when you think others are fools while you are the only wise one!!!

And those useless wailers were trying to force the budget down our throats. Hateful dumb corrupt nincompoops!

once a tyrant always a tyrant.

Fear

NASS and Judiciary are our greatest enemy in this country. Buhari won't fail Nigeria. God bless PMB for all the change he's about to deliver to us.

Saraki, you are just marking time, your days are numbered.

The fear of Buhari syndrome

Disgusting!!! The stench from the NASS will give LAWMA employees a run for their money.

It pains me that even with the monies they've pilfered in d past, their thirst remains unquenched.

These were the hypocritical folks screaming ''budget padding'' not too long ago, alas! They got their hands on d budget and what did they do? They showed to d world why they're called legislathieves.

Let them be afraid, they should be very afraid.

Bunch of rouges

After corruption, Nigeria's major problem is Bad journalism. AKA street journalism.

Journalism of pay me, I write or publish for you.

Somebody will soon come back and deny this report.

LoveMachine:
It's getting hawt out chea! Woooo!

The heat no be here ooo, am walking around in bikini

Its almost a year now and Nigeria has no budget. Joni just dee waka up and down

Ok