The Senate on Tuesday declared that in line with its resolve to return to the January to December budget cycle, the Executive should present the 2020 budget proposal to the National Assembly by September this year.
This comes as the upper legislative chamber has denied the existence of jumbo salary for federal lawmakers.
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, stated this in Abuja when members of the Senators’ Forum paid him a courtesy call in his office.
“In achieving this, as soon as budget proposals are received from the Executive in September, this Senate will spend only three three months for its consideration and passage.
“It is our determination that once the Executive does its own side of the processes by presenting budget proposal in September of every year, we will ensure the passage of the budget before embarking on Christmas break in December,” he said.
While further disregarding the existence of jumbo pay for lawmakers, he revealed that his monthly salary as a lawmaker and that of his colleagues is N750,000.
“What I want to emphasize here is that I never believed that that there is anything called Jombo pay to the National Assembly.
“The National Assembly members both the senate and the House receive what is their salaries and I receive N750,000 as my salary.
“But I need to function as a senator, my office needs to properly be funded”, he said.
Lawan assured that the National Assembly would be open to the general public in the conduct of its legislative activities, particularly in the area of funding
“National Assembly is going to be open to the public , I believe that that the National Assembly should have everything open , let Nigerians Know, what we are doing.
“I believe that Nigerians need to understand this, we need to continually engage with Nigerians and I will also argue that we continue to explain to Nigerians, they deserve to know how their resources are utilised.
“I believe that the National Assembly needs proper funding because the legislature is so critical in any national development,’’ he added.
Earlier, the Chairman of the forum, Khariat Gwadabe said the meeting was a unique opportunity for them to interface with the new Senate leadership.
She also expressed confidence in the capacity of the President of the Senate having spent two decades in the parliament.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
