2016 Budget: Senate shift date of passage again
Thu Mar 17, 2016 10:26:am National
2.3K By sosa hills
The Senate on Wednesday said that the Thursday deadline fixed for passage of the 2016 Appropriation Bill was no longer feasible.
Contrary to the assurances by the Senator Danjuma Goje's Joint Senate and House of Representatives Appropriation Committee that the 2015 Appropriation Bill will be laid today, the Upper House has shifted it to Tuesday next week.
The joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Appropriation had at a press conference on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 told journalists that the 2016 Appropriation Bill would be laid on March 16, 2016 and passed today.
The same Committee had earlier told Nigerians that National Assembly could not meet its target of passing the budget on February 25, 2016 due to errors and padding and over bloated figures by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government (MDAs).
While answering questions from journalists on the failure of the Senate Committee on Appropriation to lay the 2016 Appropriation Bill yesterday as earlier promised, Spokesman of the Senate, Senator Abdullahi Sabi said the Appropriation Bill would be laid on the floor of the Senate today (Thursday) while clause by clause consideration of the Bill would be done at the next legislative date.
He said: "All is almost set for the laying of the 2016 budget tomorrow (Thursday) in the senate chamber as we have promised Nigerians and with that, one or two processes that are required will take place and we will have our budget as promised.
"This has put to rest any suspicion of what is happening. I am here to inform you that tomorrow 17th, God sparing our lives, the 2016 budget would be laid by the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee.
"Once the budget is laid on March 17th, it is almost the same thing as getting it passed. So, we have to work on this budget and we have done so much. "When somebody said it was supposed to be here yesterday (Wednesday), there are still issues that sometimes he (Rep. Jibrin) could do it today, so we are doing it tomorrow (today). I think we are still within the time and by the grace of God by next week before we go on break, we will pass the budget. "Don't forget that the 2015 budget has been extended to 31st of March.
Contrary to the assurances by the Senator Danjuma Goje's Joint Senate and House of Representatives Appropriation Committee that the 2015 Appropriation Bill will be laid today, the Upper House has shifted it to Tuesday next week.
The joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Appropriation had at a press conference on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 told journalists that the 2016 Appropriation Bill would be laid on March 16, 2016 and passed today.
The same Committee had earlier told Nigerians that National Assembly could not meet its target of passing the budget on February 25, 2016 due to errors and padding and over bloated figures by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government (MDAs).
While answering questions from journalists on the failure of the Senate Committee on Appropriation to lay the 2016 Appropriation Bill yesterday as earlier promised, Spokesman of the Senate, Senator Abdullahi Sabi said the Appropriation Bill would be laid on the floor of the Senate today (Thursday) while clause by clause consideration of the Bill would be done at the next legislative date.
He said: "All is almost set for the laying of the 2016 budget tomorrow (Thursday) in the senate chamber as we have promised Nigerians and with that, one or two processes that are required will take place and we will have our budget as promised.
"This has put to rest any suspicion of what is happening. I am here to inform you that tomorrow 17th, God sparing our lives, the 2016 budget would be laid by the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee.
"Once the budget is laid on March 17th, it is almost the same thing as getting it passed. So, we have to work on this budget and we have done so much. "When somebody said it was supposed to be here yesterday (Wednesday), there are still issues that sometimes he (Rep. Jibrin) could do it today, so we are doing it tomorrow (today). I think we are still within the time and by the grace of God by next week before we go on break, we will pass the budget. "Don't forget that the 2015 budget has been extended to 31st of March.
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