DR OKONJO-IWEALA TO LAY 2014 BUDGET BEFORE NASS

Nigeria's President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has told the National Assembly in no unmistakable terms that he would not be honouring them with his presence to present the 2014 Budget.
Rather, Jonathan said that his Minister of Finance and Coordinator of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, would lay the budget before the National Assembly.
This position was made known on Wednesday by the President of the Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly, Senator David Mark. Mark read Jonathan’s letter on the floor of the Senate.
Jonathan has been at loggerheads with the National Assembly over the benchmark for crude oil.
While the Jonathan proposed a price of $74 per barrel of crude oil, the Senate opted for $76 and the House of Representatives, $79.
This stalled the initial presentation of the budget.
It was however learnt on Tuesday that an harmonisation committee of the Senate and House of Representatives have settled for a crude oil price of $77.5.
Details soon.  THE EAGLE ONLINE