Jonathan has not submitted any addition to Budget 2014 – Okonjo-Iweala

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said President Goodluck Jonathan has not submitted a fresh budget or any addendum to the 2014 budget.
Okonjo-Iweala, in a statement by her Special Adviser on Media, Paul Nwabuikwu, said the reports making the rounds in this regard were false.
She said that the budget of all the parastatals of the Federal Government were submitted at the same time and had been treated.
The media was awash with the report of fresh budgetary proposals when some parastatals presented a proposal of N4.4 trillion to the National Assembly last week for approval.
Among the parastatals was the Central Bank of Nigeria.
But Nwabuikwu in the statement said: “Contrary to the wrong impression given by some media reports and editorials, President Jonathan has not submitted any new budget or addendum to Budget 2014 to the National Assembly.
“All the parastatal budgets were submitted as required by law at the same time as the main budget and virtually all were treated by the relevant committees.
“The delay in discussing any aspect of the budget has nothing to do with late submission of the estimates by the executive. The reported negative reactions by some senators to some parastatal budgets was due to the delay by the relevant sub-committee to bring the parastatal budgets for consideration and has nothing to do with any effort by the executive to “smuggle” in additional budgets.
“As Senator Ita Enang has subsequently clarified, the parastatal budgets were part of the original submissions by the executive. The whole matter is an internal senate matter and has nothing to do with the executive . The negative media reports blaming the executive are wrong and should be corrected. Journalists should kindly verify with Senate Finance Committee Chair Sen Markafi and heads of other relevant committees for avoidance of doubt. Wee urge all media outlets to please verify and get facts before heaping unwarranted criticism on Mr President, the Budget Office or Ministry of Finance. It is terribly disappointing when people waste time and space writing opinions and editorials based on wrong information!”