By Emmanuel Elebeke

The Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, has denied a report in the media which stated that the Ministry had withdrawn the medium term expenditure framework, MTEF from the National Assembly.

The Minister debunked the report at the launch programme of a global movement for eradication of extreme poverty, Action/2015.

She described the report as baseless and as a figment of peoples’ imagination and urged Nigerians to ignore such rumour.

Okonjo-Iweala

Dr. Iweala said both the MTEF and the 2015 budget were still with the National Assembly waiting for consideration and that the Ministry is ready to work with the law makers collaboratively when they are through with the documents to enable them come up with sound and sustainable budget.

“There were reports that the MTEF was withdrawn from the National Assembly but the MTEF was never withdrawn. The National Assembly is still with the budget and they are considering it. “When they are ready we will work very collaboratively together and I am sure we will work together with them to have a sound and sustainable budget.

“ We all need to wait, to see what the oil prices are going to be but be rest assured that we are preparing defense scenario for the falling oil price to be able to manage the economy at whatever level the oil price falls to,” the CME said.

On the falling price, she said, measures were being put in place to enable federal government manage the economy in a most prudent and judicious manner.

“Even though, the price of oil is still going down, the budget is still with the National Assembly.