Senate Appropriation Committee collates 2016 budget reports

Ahead of the passage of the 2016 budget next month, some standing committees of the Senate have started submitting their 2016 budget reports to the Committee on Appropriation.

Updating the Senate at Tuesday plenary on the progress made so far, chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje said his Committee had mandated the different sub-committees to make their submissions ready in the next one-week.

Goje had earlier revealed that the February 25 passage of the appropriation bill was no longer realistic due to errors, inconsistencies and padding.

At Tuesday’s plenary, Goje appealed to the chairmen and vice-chairmen of the standing committees to cooperate with the Appropriation Committee by ensuring that the Tuesday deadline was met for the submission of their reports.

He said: “Today (Tuesday) is the beginning of the submission of our reports by the various sub-committees. The Appropriations Committee is ready; we are set to start receiving the reports.

“I therefore, urge my colleagues, the chairmen and vice-chairmen of the various committees to cooperate with us to ensure that we conclude this exercise within the one week that was stipulated by this Senate.

“If we don’t go by the programme, there will be problem of submission of our report. But because of the importance of this budget, it is incumbent that we go by the programme.”

Reacting to the submission made by Goje, Senate president, Bukola Saraki, implored the committees to adhere to the one-week target for collating the reports.

In another development, President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Senate to extend the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) 2015 Statutory Appropriation Act to March 31, 2016.

In a letter to the Senate, which was read by Saraki at Tuesday’s plenary, Buhari noted that the 2015 FCT Appropriation Act was assented to by former President Goodluck Jonathan on May 28, 2015.

He pointed out that the late assent of Jonathan to the document allowed the FCTA only seven months to implement the budget, explaining that this was not enough to fully implement the Act.

Meanwhile, in another development members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously endorsed the extension of the 2015 budget worth N194 billion of the FCT to May 31, 2016.

The resolution followed the passage of the FCT Appropriation Bill, which scaled through third reading after the consideration by the Committee of Supply.

In his lead debate, Femi Gbajabiamila, House leader who presented the bill, explained that N45.962 billion was for personnel cost, N33.834 billion for overhead costs while N114.069 billion for capital projects for the service of the FCT.

However, a bill that seeks to provide for the establishment of office of Mayor for FCT, sponsored by Zaphaniah Jisalo, scaled through second reading.

In his lead debate, Jisalo, a former chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), argued that the establishment of the office of the Mayor of Abuja was long overdue.

He also stressed the need for the provision of elective political offices for additional two members of the House of Reps to the existing slot for a senator and one member in the House.

While ruling, Speaker Yakubu Dogara referred the bill to the Adhoc committee on constitutional review for further legislative action.