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The National Assembly has given one month ultimatum to Ministries, Departments and Agencies to defend their budgets to enable the return to January -December Budget Cycle realizable.
Ahmed Lawan, President of the Senate and Chairman National Assembly gave this directive Tuesday in his speech during budget presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari before a joint session of the two Chambers.
Lawan also directed both Senate and House of Representatives standing Committees to conclude work on budget defense within October so that subsequent necessary legislative work will be carried out in November and December, leading to eventual passage before the end of this year.
The Senate President who observed that over the years, public procurement process appears to be encumbered by a lengthy bidding process and inadequate mobilisation of funds, amongst other limitations of the Public Procurement Act 2007, as amended, said the National Assembly, will fast track the amendment of the Act, to ensure effective and efficient implementation of the country’s budgets.
“The National Assembly after the receipt of the Budget Estimates today, will swing into swift action, to start work. Both Chambers of the National Assembly have constituted their Committees, we are therefore, ready to start processing the Budget estimates.
“The 9th National Assembly has shown capacity, commitment and willingness to treat legislative matters that will impact on the lives of our citizens with dispatch and every sense of urgency. This was clearly demonstrated last week, when we received, processed and passed the request of Mr. President on the 2020-2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP).
“Your Excellency, the National Assembly will treat the 2020 Budget Estimates with the same commitment or even more. In our effort to pass the Budget, we will also be guided by the legislative requirement of a thorough scrutiny” he assured.
In his remarks, Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives noted that there are significant flaws in the process of passage and implementation of Nigeria’s annual national budgets which are structural, function of failures of process and inadequacies in attitude.
He however, vowed that the 9th Assembly intends to: “improve on these past imperfections and to leave a legacy of budgets that are enacted without rancour, implemented diligently and that achieve the objectives of national development for which they are intended”.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives would suspend plenary from next week Tuesday, 15 till the end of October to enable Members hold budget defence sessions with various MDAs who are to appear before their Committees.
Benjamin Kalu (APC, Abia), Chairman House Committee on Media and Public Affairs made this known while addressing journalists at the end of on the road map adopted by the Green Chamber for the passage of 2020 Appropriation Act.
Kalu stated that the House would hold extensive debate on the budget between Wednesday and Thursday, begins Committees work next week and conclude all processes before November 28 when their will be presentation of the harmonized budget report to the Senate.
James Kwen, Abuja
