SHEHU Sani, senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly says President Buhari should not have signed the 2018 Appropriation Bill if he believes there were many things wrong with the document.

Buhari had expressed misgivings in the budget document which was submitted to him by the lawmakers for assent, saying that the legislators had made several cuts to allocations for some critical projects, while increasing their own allocation several billions.

“The National Assembly made cuts amounting to N347 billion in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to N578 billion,” Buhari complained, before adding that he would forward a supplementary or amendment bill to the legislators in order to correct some of the wrongs.

But Sani said Buhari’s account was “one-sided” as there was no way legislators could have altered the budget provisions without the knowledge of the Ministers in charge of the relevant ministries.

“The Committee On Appropriation publicity stated that the adjustment was done in concert and concord with the Ministers. Why is there no denial yet? And If the Ministers acted without the consent of the President why are they not yet fired?” Sani queried.

“I can confirm that the relevant persons in the Senate will point by point respond to the issues raised by Mr President.One side of the story cannot produce a fair judgment.

The Pen for our signatures should be propelled and Controlled by the force of our conscience and not the Force of compulsion.The President should not have signed a document he considers full of infractions.Signature, grudgingly or happily is the Crown of Consent.

— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) June 22, 2018

“The President supposed to reject and return the Budget and not sign on what he considers wrong. Signatures should reflect our conscience and not our compulsion.

“Why should Mr President, a person known for only doing what is right and is always right append his signature to a document he considers fraudulent or dubious or full of insertions or subtractions?

“Who is that so powerful to compel the President to do what is wrong?”

Sani, though a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is one of the vocal critics of the Buhari-administration.