Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has sign the 2019 Appropriation Bill into law, noting that its implementation of the budget he submitted in December, 2018will be difficult following its increase from N8.83 trillion to N8.92 trillion.

He said he will continue to engage the leadership of the National Assembly, assuring that his administration will make effort to speed up budget preparation, presentation and process.

According to Buhari: “We submitted the budget of N8.83 trillion in December, however the 2019 appropriation bill I am signing today, there is an increase of N90.33 billion, making it a total of N8.92 trillion. This is as a result of some of the increases and reductions by the National Assembly.

“Some of these changes will make it difficult for us to implement our projects and policies. Although I am signing it today, I will continue to engage the National Assembly as regards budget implementation.

“We will make effort to speed up budget preparation, presentation and process.”

Meanwhile, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, missed the signing ceremony by the whiskers because of an official engagement he had in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Saraki who arrived at the door of the conference room just when the President was stepping out, was said to have been coming straight from the airport having spent the night in Port Harcourt to enable him attend the function on Monday.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President of the Senate, Yusuf Olaniyonu, told our correspondent that the invitation letter got to the residence of the Senate President in Abuja on Sunday night when he was already in Port Harcourt.

The ceremony was witnessed the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara;  Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu; the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje; the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma and the Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang.

Also at the ceremony were the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefuele; Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.