Fred Itua; Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja 

The 2018 Appropriation Bill will be passed into law by the National Assembly, on April 24, according to Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

Dogara announced this at yesterday’s plenary.

According to him, both chambers of the National Assembly have to complete work on the Appropriation bill by April 19.

Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari met with the leadership of the National Assembly and thereafter, ordered Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) yet to defend their 2018 budget estimates to do so before Friday, this week.

On the heels of the president’s directive, in March 19 memo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, directed 15 federal companies, corporations and agencies to comply by tomorrow. 

To this end, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has mandated chairmen of all standing committees to submit reports of their panels on the 2018 budget to the Appropriations Committee Chairman, Danjuma Goje.

Saraki gave the sub committees Thursday, March 29, deadline to submit the reports.