By Taiye Odewale
Abuja
With the expiration of the 2016 budget today, Nigerians’ hope of getting the 2017 passed for quick implementation was yesterday dashed.
This followed the Senate’s declaration that final work on the N7.298 trillion Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari on the 14th of December, 2016, will be laid before it on Tuesday next week.
By that time, it would be five clear days after the expiration of implementation of the 2016 budget, signed into law on the 5th of May last year.
But there is a strong assurance from the upper legislative chamber that the bill will be passed next week for the President’s assent.
Report on final work on the budget was earlier slated for presentation in the Senate yesterday by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje (APC Gombe Central) as listed on the Order Paper.
However, the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC Yobe North), requested for stepping down of the item when called upon to put submission of the report in process.
According to him, the Senate’s joint committee on Appropriation and Finance, finalising reports on the budget proposals along with their counterparts in the House of Representatives, were still dotting their is and crossing their ts on the budget report to avoid discrepancies in the reports of the two chambers before final passage.
He, however, said the leadership of the committees at both chambers have assured him that the report would be read for presentation on Tuesday next week.
“I have also equally been informed by leadership of the committees that by the grace of God, definitely the budget 2017 will be laid on Tuesday. Having said this, Mr. President distinguished colleagues; I will move that we stand down this report to Tuesday the next legislative day and I so moved”, he said.
After putting into voice votes the adoption of the motion was seconded by Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP Taraba South).
Providing further insight, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided at the session, said, “let me also emphasise for the benefit of the public that we are minded to receive this report today (yesterday) .It was only this morning that it was necessary for us to be sure that we are on the same page with the House of Representatives to avoid any possible conferencing.
“So what we like to see is for the House and the Senate laying just the same documents, so that once we passed, we will now send the documents to the President for assent.
“I think this is important that the point be made and the public know that the harmonisation which is going on should be concluded over the weekend to enable us receive the budget report by Tuesday and by the grace of God, have it passed by next week, and we send it to the President for assent.”
“Let me also inform the public as well that the tenure of the 2016 budget ends tomorrow, the 5th, because it was passed on the 5th of May, 2016, but under the constitution the federal government is entitled to continue to spend money based on the 2016 estimates up to the 30th of June, 2017.
“But we will not allow us to get into the reliance on the constitutional provision. Hopefully, by the grace of God, we will have this budget next week; we pass it so that implementation will start in earnest. So I just want to appeal for the understanding of the people of Nigeria,” Ekweremadu pleaded.
The 2017 budget estimates as presented by President Buhari in December last year, was based on critical assumptions like $42.5 per barrel as oil price bench mark, 2.2 million barrels per day as proposed oil production, average exchange rate of N305 to the US dollar etc.
