…Over 20 committees yet to submit report
From: FRED ITUA, Abuja
The Senate, on Thirsday, revealed that it would go ahead to consider and pass the 2017 budget, despite the delay by some committee heads who are yet to submit their final reports to the supervising Appropriation committee.
Senate President Bukola Saraki, who re-echoed what he said on Tuesday that the deadline for the submission of budgets from committee heads would end, on Thursday, the Senate was going ahead to conclude work on the document.
The Senate, had earlier in the year, promised that the 2017 budget will be passed on or before the end of March. However, as at the time of filing in this report, over 20 committees were yet to submit their reports.
Senator Saraki, while making a fresh announcement on Thursday, during plenary, said, compliance on the part of the committees yet to turn in their reports would hasten legislative work on the budget proposal awaiting passage by the National Assembly.
According to him, the Appropriations committee would go ahead to consider original estimates proposed by the executive should any committee fail to comply with the Upper Legislative Chamber’s deadline of yesterday.
He said: “All committees yet to complete work on the 2017 budget proposal are hereby requested to submit their reports unfailingly today to the Appropriations committee.
“These committees numbering over twenty thereabout, should endeavour to submit their reports, or the appropriations committee will be left with no option but to consider original estimates sent in by the executive”, the Senate President added.”
The 2016 budget was passed by both chambers of the National Assembly on the 23rd of March, 2016. The proposal was submitted to a joint session of the legislature on the 22nd of December, 2015.
The first draft of the budget, passed by the National Assembly, was however rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari, over claims that it was ‘padded’.
The second copy of the budget was passed by the National Assembly in late April of 2016, after a peace deal between the leadership of the National Assembly and President Buhari.
The 2017 budget was presented on the 14th of December, 2016. It is expected to be passed before mid April. Similarly, the lifespan of the current 2016 budget will expire on the 5th of May, 2017.