Senate again on Wednesday, shifted the final consideration and passage of the N8.83 trillion 2019 budget proposals to Tuesday next week.
By that Tuesday, April 30, 2019, the lifespan of the Senate and by extension, 8th National Assembly, will remain 38 days, since June 8 and 9, will be on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
The Appropriation bill as listed on the Order Paper of the Senate , was to have been given final consideration and passage in Plenary today but non availability of copies of details of the budget among Senators , made the Senate to step it down for consideration till next week Tuesday.
The Leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan ( APC Yobe North), had in moving for stepping down of the bill till another legislative day, cited the absence of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation , Senator Danjuma Goje ( APC Gombe Central ) and his Vice, Senator Sonny Ogbuoji ( APC Ebonyi South) but the Senate President cited non availability of copies of details of the reports as reason for stepping it down.
“Some members have not got printed copies of the details and I have directed the Clerk to make sure that latest by Monday we all have printed copies so that everybody can see the details of the budget, and by so doing we can now pass it on Tuesday next week.
“We don’t want to run into a problem where we pass it without details and our colleagues will start to comment.
“So, Clerk, ensure that everybody has copies of the details by Monday and we will pass it on Tuesday”, he said.
Final report on the budget estimates , was laid before the Senate by the Chairman of its Appropriation Committee , Senator Danjuma Goje ( APC Gombe Central) on Wednesday last week before the Upper Legislative Chamber embarked on one week Easter Break.
The Red Chamber had before the break , planned to pass the budget for third reading last week Tuesday, April 16, 2019 but couldn’t do it due to failure of many of its standing committees to submit reports on scrutinized budget proposals of Ministries. Departments and Agencies ( MDAs) under their purview to the appropriation committee on Thursday, April 11, 2019 as directed by the Senate President , Bukola Saraki penultimate Tuesday, April 9, 2019.
Saraki had in given the directive two weeks ago, hinted that the N8.83trillion 2019 budget would be passed on Tuesday , April 16, 2019 which the Senate however failed to do, due to delay on submission of reports by the various standing committees to the Appropriation committee.
If the budget is evebtually passed for third reading at both chambers on Tuesday, the 8th National Assembly will have 38 days left to wind off out which 30 days must be available as at the time the budget will be forwarded to the President for assent in line with constitutional provisions.
One of the issues of harmonization that will arise in the budget slated for passage on Tuesday next week, is the N10billion intervention fund , the Senate will include in its own for Zamfara State as approved via resolution to that effect two weeks ago.
The N8.83trillion budget proposal as presented by President Buhari is anchored on key parameters such as $60 per barrel as oil price bench mark , 2.3 million barrel oil production per day and N305 as exchange rate to one US dollar .
Others are 3.01% GDP growth rate and 9.18% Inflation rate.
Critical components of the budget estimates are recurrent expenditure N4.038trillion , capital expenditure N2.031trillion , Debt servicing N2.264trillion and N492.360billion for statutory transfers.
