President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to his official duties at the Presidential Villa in Abuja following a two-week working vacation. The President resumed work on Monday, October 21, 2024, after his leave, which he spent in both the United Kingdom and France.
Upon his return, pictures from the State House show President Tinubu at his desk, receiving a briefing from the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Zacch Adedeji. A statement released from the State House noted,
“President Bola Tinubu at his desk this morning, after returning from a two-week vacation. Mr President received a briefing from Zaccheus Adedeji, Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service. Abuja, Monday, October 21, 2024.”
President Tinubu left Abuja for his vacation on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President was set to use the two-week period as a combination of rest and reflection on the progress of his administration’s economic reforms.
However, on October 11, President Tinubu departed the United Kingdom for France, where he attended to an “important engagement” in Paris. This change in his itinerary was disclosed by his Senior Special Assistant on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari, through a tweet posted on Friday, October 11.
While the President was away, concerns arose over the delayed presentation of the 2025 appropriation bill, which must be submitted to the National Assembly in preparation for the coming fiscal year. Last week, the House of Representatives raised this issue, reminding the President of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which sets strict guidelines for the budget process.
According to the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which outlines the government’s fiscal policy and macroeconomic plans, should be presented to the National Assembly at least three months before the annual budget is submitted.
With just over two months remaining before the end of the 2024 fiscal year, lawmakers have expressed concern about whether there will be enough time to thoroughly review the MTEF, the Fiscal Strategy Paper, and the 2025 Budget Estimates.
