Tinubu didn’t present empty budget box before NASS, says Doguwa

President Bola Tinubu did not present empty budget boxes before the National Assembly, according to the Chairman, Northern Caucus, Alhassan Doguwa.

Doguwa, who addressed newsmen on Friday in Kano, strongly denied that Tinubu presented empty budget boxes before the national assembly.

He said, "What people don’t know is that President Tinubu has since submitted a flash drive of the whole budget before his presentation to the Joint Chambers.

"Stop the misrepresentation of facts; we did not receive empty 2024 budget boxes from President Tinubu, he said, adding that ”the speculation is baseless, unfounded, and does not even arise.

“I write in response to the mischievous insinuations that Mr. President laid empty boxes before the National Assembly on the day he presented the appropriation bill for 2023.

"What people don’t know is that Mr. President had earlier submitted a flash drive as a soft copy of the 2023 budget. which is now being printed out in hard copies.

”And as usual, he brought one single hard copy of the budget to the floor.”

Doguwa said that the Senators and Representatives were satisfied and were conveniently guided by the verbal presentation.

”’And the way Mr. President digested the budget and gave a specific analysis of the funds allocated to the various sectors of the economy.

“I, therefore, want to say that any media or mischievous reports insinuating that Mr. President laid empty boxes were not true and unfounded, he said.

Doguwa, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Upstream, insisted that such reports were only being perpetrated by mischief makers and opposition members who would always criticise the government with or without reasonable cause.

He added, "I further wish to urge Nigerians to disregard such insinuations and condemn the perpetrators, as they are enemies of Nigeria’s progress.

”As of next week, the House Committee on Petroleum Upstream will start budget defence on the estimates of agencies under my committee’s supervision."