*As Saraki prides 2017 budget is “the biggest we’ve done”

*Respondent in first time agreement with Saraki over 2017 budget claim

The Federal Government has kicked off the preparation process for the 2018 budget.

This is taking place less than 24 hours after Acting President Yemi Osinbajo assented to the 2017 budget.

The acting president had on Tuesday disclosed that the 2018 Appropriation Bill would be presented to the National Assembly this October.

The event, tagged “Flag off of the 2018 Budget Preparation Process”, is currently holding behind closed-doors at the Old Banquet Hall of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Those in attendance include the Ministers of Budget and National Planning; Women Affairs; Power, Works and Housing; State for Foreign Affairs as well as heads of ministries, departments and agencies.

In the meantime, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, in a video captured after emerging from the signing ceremony of the 2017 budget by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday, spoke on the content of the 2017 budget alluding to the N2 trillion capital project saying with that among going into capital project, the government could maintain the success of 2016 budget in terms capital project.

Senator Saraki said, “The second most important part, which I really think is key is the drive for Made-in-Nigeria to ensure that government agencies give first option to Nigerian companies.  That will bring more jobs to our people and also, maybe, save on foreign exchange and then continue to drive on agricultural diversification.

“It’s good and I think that it is a good message out and Nigerians will soon begin to see, we will make sure that the government implements it,” Saraki said.

A respondent of The DEFENDER, who has been so critical of the Bukola Saraki-led Senate for its “anti-government” activities in recent times, suddenly switched attitude Tuesday morning saying his criticism of Senator Bukola Saraki was not blindly so long it was to get him see reason in not having to support or lead Senators of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against the Muhammadu Buhari-led government of his own party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).  As at now I must commend him and say “Distinguished Senate President Sir, you have done well lately cooperating with the Federal Government and that is the reason things are now taking shape all together.”

He said, “For once, I make bold to say Saraki is right.  Yes, we were against him because he was leading the People’s Democratic Party’s Senators on an anti-Buhari government offensive.  But now that we can see the end result of what we asked him to do, which is to pass the budget for assent and he has since then been cooperating with government of the party that brought to the Senate as Senator in the first place before he became Senate President, we cannot be too negatively rigid not to know when to shift ground.  Saraki, I must say, is saying the truth and I urge him to be more cooperative with the government in the overall interest of Nigeria and Nigerian people,” he said.