The Nigerian Senate has given an indication of passing the 2022 Appropriation Bill before the end of the year, after the bill passed Second Reading in the upper legislative chamber on Wednesday.
The development also comes on the backdrop of the reconstitution of the leadership and membership of some standing and special committees of the Senate.
Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President made the announcement at the end of plenary on Wednesday, saying that “we expect that these Chairmen and Vice Chairman would start their work immediately, especially to work on the budget defense.
Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila earlier promise that the bill will be passed before December, following which it will be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
“We expect that before the end of the year, the 2020 budget would have been fully implemented,” Lawan, who is the Chairman of the National Assembly said.
The bill is expected to go to committee stage by next week, sources in the chamber informed the magazine on Thursday.
President Buhari, last week, presented the N16 trillion Proposal to the joint sitting of the National Assembly. Lawan had promised a swift passage.
The bill entitled “A Bill for an Act to authorise the issuance, from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, CRF of the Federation, the total sum of N16.39 trillion of which N768.28 billion is for statutory transfers.”
The Senators who took turns to speak on the bill on Wednesday, said executive arm of government must ensure that the budget is implemented when passed.
Senator Abba Moro representing Benue South said“We must change our implementation strategy and our budget system, so that Nigerians can benefit from this annual ritual called budget.
“We must try as much as possible to block the leakages in our economy, so that we can conserve funds for the development of our infrastructure. I don’t know the place of education in this budget yet we want to enthrone a vibrant population in our country. Poverty is on the rise. Several programmes have been churned out by this administration in all our budgets.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic was on, we heard that N52 billion had been spent on feeding school children when schools were supposed to be closed. We had a rancour with the Ministry of Labour and Productivity recently on the 774 Public Works. Today, Nigerians are characterising that programme as a scam.
“We must change our budget system. The envelope system is a system that duplicates and continues to do one thing all over and over again and we will not expect a new result,” he said
Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Sabi Abdullahi, said more invested in the transportation sector would ensure economic turn-around, urging the federal government not to leave out any part of the country in the ongoing railway project.
Meanwhile, the new committee chairmen as announced by the Senate President on Wednesday, are Sahabi Ya’u – Committee on National Population and National Identity; Adetokunbo Abiru – Committee on Industry; Saidu Alkali – Committee on Trade and Investments; and Kabiru Barkiya – Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs.
The new Vice-Chairmanship and Membership positions are Seriake Dickson – Committee on Interior and member of the committee on Appropriations; Biodun Olujimi – Member, Committee on Appropriations; Tolu Odebiyi – Vice Chairman, Committee on Marine Transport; Lekan Mustapha – Vice Chairman, INEC; and Jarigbe Jarigbe – Vice Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Others are Moses Cleopas – Vice Chairman, National Planning and Economic Affairs; Frank Ibezim – Vice Chairman, Committee on Industry; Nora Daduut – Vice Chairman, Committee on Culture and Tourism; and Degi-Biobarakuma Eremieyo – Member, Committee on Appropriation.
Some of the new appointees replaced some senators who have died. The deceased senators are Sikiru Osinowo, Rose Oko and Ignatius Longjan.
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