The 2016 appropriation bill passed second reading amid scathing criticisms from members of the opposition at the House of Representatives yesterday.
Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara however said the debate so far was illuminating and it should be a guide to the House in the perfection of the 2016 appropriation bill at the various committee stages.
“Let us put the interest of Nigerians first over our own interests,“ Dogara added.
Criticising the 2016 appropriation proposals presented by President Muhammadu Buhari, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Leo Ogor (PDP, Delta) said the document fell short.
He wondered why the budget is N6.03 trillion when one adds up the figures instead of the touted N6.07 trillion.
He also criticised a situation in which the expected estimates from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other agencies were not attached.
Linus Okorie (PDP, Ebonyi), in his contribution said the budget is a fraud, adding that over N330 billion was built into the 2016 budget, saying it was an encouragement of corruption.