Nigeria: Okonjo-Iweala Presents N4.3trillion Proposed Budget To National Assembly

SAN FRANCISCO, December 17, (THEWILL) – Nigeria's Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Wednesday presented a N4.3trillion proposed appropriation for 2015 before the National Assembly in two separate appearances before the Senate and House of Assembly.

Traditionally, budget presentations in the past have been done by the President before a joint session of both chambers of the National Assembly.

THEWILL gathered that the frosty relations between President Goodluck Jonathan and elected representatives at the National Assembly forced the change.

Okonjo-Iweala did the formal presentation of the budget on behalf of the President without addressing the chambers.

President Jonathan had Tuesday written separately to the President of the Senate, David Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, announcing that Okonjo-Iweala would be representing the Presidency at the presentation.

“In consonance with the provision of Section 81 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, I write to request that the distinguished Senate grant the honourable minister of Finance the slot of 11.00 a.m. to enable her lay before you the 2015 budget estimates,” the President wrote.