The Presidency has said it has yet to transmit the supplementary budget for 2021 to the National Assembly.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Umar el-Yakub, made this known in response to our correspondent’s enquiry on Tuesday.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, had earlier on February 25, 2021, said the Federal Government would prepare a supplementary budget to be sent to the National Assembly to cater for COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination.
Ahmed, while speaking at the maiden edition of State House briefing held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, had said the fiscal document would be prepared in March.
On Monday, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), met behind closed doors with the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; to discuss the issue of coming up with supplementary budget to cater for security and vaccine production.
When contacted on Tuesday to confirm if the budget had been transmitted by the Presidency, el-Yakub, in a text message replying our correspondent, said, “It hasn’t been transmitted.”