President Bola Tinubu has said that those making claims of the 2024 budget being padded, do not know arithmetic.
Tinubu reacted to Senator Abdul Ningi’s claim of the 2024 budget being padded to the tune of N3.7 trillion, while hosting the leadership of the Senate to break the Ramadan fast at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday, March 22.
The President who noted that the integrity of the National Assembly must remain intact, added that his administration would always encourage cooperation with the National Assembly for the advancement of the country.
He said;
“I know the arithmetic of the budget and the numbers that I brought to the National Assembly, and I know what numbers came back. I appreciate all of you for the expeditious handling of the budget.
“Those who are talking about malicious embellishment in the budget; did not understand the arithmetic and did not refer to the baseline of what I brought. But your integrity is intact.
“I am grateful for what you have been doing. The natural challenge we are facing will be over. We are about turning the corner. Our revenue has improved. All we have to do is control expenditure and manage ourselves better.”
On the recent killing of soldiers in Delta State, the President insisted that the killers would face the full wrath of the law. Tinubu said;
“Our armed forces are working hard, and we will not allow attackers to undermine the integrity and value of our armed forces and its leadership.
“We will continue to encourage and fight for our sovereignty, our individual rights to exist, and we will succeed in banishing poverty from our land. ”