…as uncertainty heightens over passage of 2017 budget
Facts emerged on Monday that the House of Representatives is to conduct independent investigation into the $43.4 million found in an apartment in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.
BusinessDay gathered that the leadership of the House has already endorsed a motion of urgent national importance on resumption from the Easter recess.
“The motion should have been considered on Tuesday but with the sad incident of the death of Senator Isiaka Adeleke, the House may adjourn plenary till Wednesday after which the motion will be considered considering its importance to the economy.
“It’s a national issue that should not be left to the Executive arm, since we have the statutory backing to expose and investigate corruption as enshrined in section 88(2a) and section 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” one of the lawmakers told our Correspondent.
Meanwhile, feelers from the National Assembly showed that the 2017 Appropriations bill may not be passed before the end of April 2017 as promised by the leadership of the House of Representatives.
Responding to BusinessDay’s inquiry, Abdulrazak Namdas (APC-Adamawa) who had penultimate week assured that the budget will be passed after resumption from the Easter recess, however noted that the 2017 budget will be passed between two and three weeks.
Namdas who noted that the 2016 Appropriations Act which was signed into law on the 4th May, 2016, argued that it will elapse on the 31st May, 2017.
He however assured that “we (Senate and House of Representatives) are likely going to pass this budget in the next two to three weeks. During the Easter break, the leadership of both chambers met with the Executive more than three occasions. The meetings were chaired by the Vice President to discuss about the priority areas.
“I can assure you that this budget will be the budget of the people, because we are in constant touch with the Executive and don’t forget that the people made input into it through the public hearing on budget that was organised,” Namdas said via a telephone chat.
He also confirmed the report that adequate budget provision for the Second Runway of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport was captured in the 2017 budget.
The lawmakers who embarked on two weeks Easter recess are expected to resume plenary session today, 25th April, 2017.
