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Contrary to the assurances of Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan, the Senate failed to pass the 2017 budget on Thursday.
This is due to the failure of the Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriations Danjuma Goje to present the appropriations bill.
Lawan told senators at Thursday plenary that Goje was absent from presenting the budget because he was still meeting with his counterpart in the House of Representatives, with a view to presenting a harmonised budget.
Although presentation of the 2017 budget was slated as the first item on Thursday’s Order Paper in the Senate, it was however, stepped down till Tuesday next week.
Prior to the postponement of the passage of the budget, Lawan informed BusinessDay that the budget would be laid on Thursday (today) and passed next week.
“By the grace of God, we are laying it (budget) today. And we will pass it next week,” he told this newspaper on Thursday.
Meanwhile, as the 2016 budget expires on Friday May 5, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has said there is no cause for alarm, adding that the Executive can spend the recurrent component of the budget until June 30.
He cited the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to buttress his argument.
Details later…..
