Approval of the N8.612 trillion 2018 budget, 12 economic recovery bills, debate on plans by the Federal Government to withdraw $1 billion from Excess Crude Account (ECA) to tackle insecurity in some parts of the country, will top the agenda, as the Senate resumes on Tuesday.
The development comes as the upper legislative chamber stated that it has no timeframe yet on when the 2018 budget will be passed.
Also high up on the agenda, is the conclusion of the review of the 1999 Constitution, as well as reports of some standing and ad-hoc committees.
These include: the report of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream on the lingering fuel scarcity across the country; Committee on Security Infrastructure on farmers-herdsmen clashes in Benue State; Ad-hoc Committee on the controversial recall of the dismissed chairman of the defunct Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, into the Federal Civil Service; alleged $26 billion contract scam leveled by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu against the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru, among others.
Late last year, the National Assembly had transmitted copies of proposed amendments of the 1999 constitution to state Houses of Assembly. They are expected to turn in their resolutions to the National Assembly in the first quarter of 2018 for further legislative work before transmitting same to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
In an exclusive interview with BusinessDay on Monday, Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, revealed that the 2018 appropriation bill and insecurity will top agenda.
The Senate Spokesperson also disclosed that a meeting of the Senate leadership would meet before commencement of plenary to set the agenda.
“Giving all the issues that are on board, definitely the issue of budget is still there, the issue of insecurity and perhaps the unfinished business we have which we intend to get attention also,” the lawmaker said.
On whether the upper legislative chamber has a timeframe to approve the budget, the Senate Spokesperson who doubles as a member of the Appropriations Committee, said: “Not to my knowledge”.
At the moment, budget defence by MDAs is ongoing, even as the National Assembly rolled-over the capital component of the 2017 budget to March 31, 2018.
With the release of schedule of activities for the 2019 elections, there are strong indications that politics will assume centre stage, while functions of the National Assembly like lawmaking, representation and oversight will suffer.
This is because most legislators will abandon their legislative duties in the chamber and return to their various constituencies to get their parties’ nod to seek reelection.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
