Presidency: Why Jonathan Postponed Budget Presentation

The presidency defended the decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to defer until further notice the presentation of the 2014 budget to the National Assembly. Jonathan, for the second time in two weeks, had on 19th Nov. deferred the presentation of the 2014 budget, this time, citing the failure of the two chambers of the National Assembly to harmonise their positions on the crude oil benchmark. Rather than turn up for the presentation of the budget as earlier scheduled, the president wrote the legislature seeking a further deferment of the exercise until the law makers had reached a consensus on the appropriate benchmark on which revenue projections from the sale of oil, Nigeria's major source of revenue, is reached. In the letter, The president explained his concern about the disagreement between the Senate and the House of Representatives on the crude oil benchmark. But it was also gathered that Jonathan might have shifted the budget presentation to avoid being heckled by aggrieved lawmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The president in the letter addressed to the House of Representatives and read by the Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, during plenary yesterday, said: “Please recall that I had written requesting the Honourable House of Representatives to grant me the slot of 12 noon on Tuesday, 19th November 2013 to enable me address a joint session of the National Assembly on the 2014 budget. “It is infeasible for me to present the budget in the absence of a harmonised position on the MTEF. “Whereas the distinguished Senate has approved the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) based on a benchmark of $76.5 per barrel, the honourable House of Representatives has used a benchmark of $79 per barrel. “In the circumstance, it has become necessary to defer the presentation of the 2014 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly until such a time when both respected chambers would have harmonised their positions on the MTEF. It is my hope that this will be in the shortest possible time.” A copy of the letter was also addressed to the Senate President David Mark and read on the floor of the red chamber yesterday. But Special Adviser to the president on Political Matters, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, who also addressed State House correspondents alongside Presidential assistant Reuben Abati on the 2014 budget, debunked claims that the president avoided the National Assembly over alleged plans by some PDP members to embarrass him. Jonathan gave no new date, saying only that when lawmakers had agreed on a position, then he would deliver the budget.