FEC okays budget proposal for presentation to National Assembly

Federal Executive Council (FEC), yesterday, approved the 2023 budget proposal in readiness for it’s official presentation to the National Assembly, tomorrow.

Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, made the disclosure, while briefing newsmen after the council’s meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, the draft document, prepared by the Ministry of Finance and Budget Planning, was presented to Buhari at the meeting, during which it was “extensively discussed” by the cabinet.

Adesina, however, declined to give details of the proposals, as discussed by members during the “one-item meeting” held behind closed doors.

He explained that it would not be proper to give out the details before the document is formally presented to National Assembly members.

He said: “It was virtually one item for the executive council meeting, in which the budget proposals for 2023 were presented and discussed, at length.

“That proposal will be taken to the National Assembly on Friday (tomorrow) morning by Mr. President. So, it will not the proper to begin to discuss the contents of what will be officially presented on Friday.

“That is the information I have for us, that we won’t have the traditional briefing of what happened at the council because it’s about a budget that will be presented on Friday morning. We’ll want to give the National Assembly the honor of receiving it first.”

Asked if the council endorsed the budget, he said: “What was done was that it was discussed extensively and there were input. Whichever input needs to be reflected before Friday will be done, and then it will be presented to the National Assembly.”