As both Chambers of the National Assembly are set to adjourn for the year this Thursday, will they succeed in passing the 2021 budget for third reading or extend sitting till Tuesday next week? TAIYE ODEWALE reports.
This year’s Christmas being nine days away and the National Assembly expected to adjourn sittings Thursday this week (December 17, 2020), since Tuesday next week (December 22, 2020), is few days to the yuletide; will the federal lawmakers be able to pass the N13.08 trillion 2021 budget for third reading or delay sittings till Tuesday next week for that purpose?.
Recall that President Muhamnadu Buhari presented the N13.08trillion 2021 budget estimates to the joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday , October 8, 2020 with request for expeditious consideration and passage of the Appropriation Bill by the federal lawmakers in sustaining the January – December budgetary Implementation cycle started in 2020 fiscal year .
Towards sustaining the feat , both chambers of the National Assembly , swung into action by expeditiously given the budgetary proposals legislative consideration in plenary sessions with passage for second reading on Thursday, October 15, 2020 and thereafter adjourned plenary for similar expeditious consideration at Committee levels .
But both chambers seem to be running out of the time-table drawn for consideration of the budget at committee levels and final passage.
Specifically, in the Senate on Tuesday , October 20, 2020, when plenary was suspended for consideration of budget at Committee levels , December 3rd was fixed as date for submission of report on final draft of the Appropriation Bill by the Appropriation Committee , which was later shifted to last week Thursday , December 10, 2020.
Aside the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation , Senator Jibrin Barau (APC Kano North), who made declaration to that effect few weeks back , the President of the Senate himself, Senator Ahmad Lawan ,also said the same thing .
Lawan in his own declaration at the one day retreat held for top management staff of both the National Assembly and National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) , in Abuja three weeks ago ,said the budget will be passed in the second week of December after which legislative attentions will be focused on expeditious consideration of PIB and Constitution Review, particularly electoral Act (Amendment ) Bill.
His words: “We are working to pass the 2021 budget by the second week of December by the Grace of God.
“We are working very assiduously, we will ensure that there is every possible scrutiny of the budget estimates presented to us by the Executive arm of government.
“So far, we achieved that in 2020 budget. We believe we did the right thing. We promised Nigerians that we will do that and it is going to be part of our legacy in the Ninth National Assembly.”
But based on realities on ground , the possibility for passing the budget this week as assured by the Senate President is slim because , the Appropriation Committee expected to submit report to that effect last week Thursday failed in meeting up .
The federal lawmakers can be said to be walking on tight rope as far as passing the 2021 budget for third reading this week is concerned, because traditionally in carrying out such legislative exercise, the report must be submitted 48 hours before consideration for thorough scrutiny or perusing by each of the lawmakers ahead of final consideration and passage .
If the tradition is to be followed , it means that the Appropriation Committee at both Chambers , must submit harmonized reports on the budget estimates unfailingly today for such consideration and final passage on Thursday .
Aside the 2021 budget , two other interrelated bills are also pending for the federal lawmakers to pass this week .
The bills are the Finance Bill 2020 and the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) Appropriation Bill 2021 .
Though the President of the Senate , Ahmad Lawan on Thursday last week while having in audience, Airline operators in the country led by the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika , declared that report on the Finance Bill is expected on the floor of the Senate today , but that of FCT Appropriation Bill is not sure yet since the required public hearing , has not been conducted on it .
However, in a telephone conversation with the Blueprint on Sunday, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Abubakar Kyari ( APC Borno North) , said the committee will carry out the public hearing between Monday and Wednesday this week and submit report for consideration and possible passage on Thursday.
” In line with the January-December budget implementation cycle , the 9th National Assembly , facilitated this year, the 2021 FCT budget will be expeditiously considered for timely passage,” he said.
Going by the unfolding scenario and realities on ground as regards passing for third reading , the 2021 Appropriation Bill by both Chambers of the National Assembly , a special session for that on Monday or Tuesday next week may be required, if all efforts to get it done this week fails.
