June 19, 2018

The Presidency has affirmed that Muhammadu Buhari will sign the 2018 Appropriation Bill into law on Wednesday at 12p.m.

Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, affirmed this in a in statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

The presidential aide had on June 13 disclosed that the president would sign the 2018 budget this week.

He had said: “The position on the 2018 budget is that it will be signed next week. You will be told the specific date.

“But one thing we are sure of is that the budget will be signed next week.’’

The senate increased the 2018 budget from N8.612 trillion earlier proposed to N9.12 trillion.

The senate also increased the crude oil benchmark for the budget from 45 dollars per barrel to 50.5 dollars per barrel.

Meanwhile, Adesina has dismissed the media report that the Wednesday’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) was cancelled due to the scheduled signing of the budget by the president.

According to him, the FEC meeting will not hold due to the Eid-el-Fitrholidays last Friday and Monday which affected preparation of council’s memoranda.