The House of Representatives has denied reports that President Bola Tinubu presented empty boxes to the National Assembly on the day he presented the 2024 budget proposal.
The Chairman of the Northern Caucus, 10th House of Representatives said, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa made the rebuttal in a statement issued on Friday.
A member of the House, Hon. Yusuf Galambi had made the claim during a BBC Hausa interview on Friday.
Galambi, a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) representing Gwaram federal constituency of Jigawa State, said that Tinubu only read his 2024 budget speech including proosals for sectors but did not give the lawmakers the documents as was the tradition by previous presidents.
In his statement, Doguwa described the claim as “mischievous insinuations”.
In the statement titled, ‘Stop The Misrepresentation Of Facts: We Did Not Receive Empty 2024 Budget Box From President Tinubu,’ Doguwa disclosed that the president earlier provided a flash drive containing soft copy of the 2024 budget proposal.
He said, “I write in response to the mischievous insinuations that, Mr. President laid empty boxes to the National Assembly on the day he presented the appropriation bill 2024.
“What people don’t know is that Mr. President had earlier submitted a flash drive as a soft copy of the 2024 Budget. Which is now being printed out in hard copies. And as usual brought one single hard copy of the budget to the floor.
“Be that as it may, Senators and Hon. members 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.
“Such reports are only being perpetrated by mischief makers and opposition members who would always criticize the government with or without reasonable cause.
“I further wish to urge Nigerians to disregard such insinuations, and condemn the perpetrators as they are enemies of Nigeria’s Progress.
“As from next week, the House Committee on Petroleum Upstream will start budget defense on estimates of agencies under my committee’s supervision.”