The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday ‎commended the signing of this year’s Appropriation Bill into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This is as the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has said that the President’s assent to the budget, which has paved way for its implementation, would help to remove the uncertainty that has engulfed the country since the beginning of this year.

APC’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, in a statement issued on his behalf by Edegbe Odemwingie, also commended the Senate and House of Representatives for their successful consideration and passage of the budget.

“The APC calls on Federal Government ministries, departments and agencies to ensure effective and speedy implementation of the budget, so that the objectives of the unprecedented N6.06 trillion 2016 National ‘Budget of Change’ will be realised. “Commendably, 30 per cent of the budgetary provision has been committed to capital projects,” Odigie-Oyegun said.

He also commended Nigerians for their patience and understanding during the consideration, passage and eventual presidential assent to the budget, stating that the 2016 budget caters for many of the promises made to the Nigerian electorate by the party in the course of last year’s presidential campaign.

“This includes the safety net created to cater for the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians, amongst other pro-people developmental policies.
“Already, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has announced that the implementation of the 2016 budget will focus on 34 key programmes grouped under four thematic areas — security/policy governance, diversification of economy, succour for vulnerable Nigerians, and reflating the economy through investments,” he added.

In a telephone interview with The Guardian, the Director-General, LCCI, Muda Yusuf, said the Chamber was happy about the final signing of the budget, adding that it would help to renew expectations in the area of infrastructural development and cash flow in the economy.

According to Yusuf, the uncertainties had caused major drop in peoples’ confidence about government, stressing that the delayed passage of the budget had further deepened the economic crisis being experienced by the nation.

He said: “We are happy about it and we expect that the economy will now begin to take shape. We expect positives in the area of cash flow; we expect that the private sector contractors will be paid, which in effect will impact on the economy, especially with the injection of N350 billion set aside to reflate the economy.”