I never said FG doesn’t know who will sign 2017 budget, says Lai Mohammed

*Acting President will assent to budget when ready – Presidency

By Florence Israel, Abuja

The Minister for Information and Culture has refuted a misleading media publication attributed to him and aimed at misinforming the general public concerning the signing of the 2017 budget.

In a statement sent to The DEFENDER Wednesday night, the Special Assistant to the Minister, Mr. Segun Adeyemi, termed the information as a malicious misrepresentation of what transpired at the Federal Executive Council Meeting press briefing on Wednesday and advised the general public to ignore such information as it amounts to deliberate mischief.

“Our attention has been drawn to a story in a section of the media quoting the Honourable Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as saying ”we don’t know who will sign the 2017 budget”.

“This quote is a malicious misrepresentation of what transpired at the post-Federal Executive Council Meeting press briefing on Wednesday, 17 May 2017.

“When the Minister was asked a question relating to the signing of the 2017 Budget, his response was: ”When it is transmitted to the Presidency, the issue will be addressed.”

“Anything beyond that response amounts to deliberate mischief and should be ignored”, the statement said.

In the meantime, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, via a Twitter statement by his spokesman Laolu Akande Wednesday night, had also said that the question on who would sign the budget was clear, adding that he would sign the 2017 budget.

According to the statement, when the time comes, everything is set and he is satisfied, the Acting President will sign the budget.

“Just so we are clear: when the time comes, everything is set and he is satisfied, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo will assent to the 2017 budget,” the statement read.