Fidelia Okafor.

The Executive and the National Assembly has reached an agreement to ensure the continuation and completion of 2016 projects that were captured in the appropriation.

The agreement was reached by Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo: President of the Senate Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki: Speaker Yakubu Dogora and the Chairmen of the appropriation committees of both chambers.

The meeting was held at the instance of the Acting President with some members of the cabinet including Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, her counterpart in the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, Director-General of Budget Office and other members of the Economic Team.

Osibanjo who had visited the National Assembly on Tuesday, called for the meeting upon hearing of the flaws of the 2017 appropriation and failure of some heads of MDAs to come and defend their proposed budget.

The Acting President therefore scheduled the meeting so as to proffer solutions to the budgetary issues.

They resolved that all projects contained in the 2016 budget but not yet completed would be completed in 2017.

The two arms of government resolved that none of the projects started in 2016 as captured in last year’s budget must be abandoned in 2017 but must be well funded.

Such key projects would also be recaptured in the 2017 budget so as to avoid extra-budgetary expenditure.

They particularly made reference to the scheduled repair of the tarmac of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport scheduled to take-off on March 8 which was not captured in 2016 budget.

Withe the resolutions, projects such as the reconstruction of Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Lokoja – Abuja expressway, the rail projects in different parts of the country, among others, are expected to continue non-stop until they are completed.

Osinbajo appealed to the leadership of the National Assembly for the quick passage of the 2017 budget.