… says 2016 Appropriations Act elapses May 5, 2017
The body of Principal Officers in the House of Representatives has reiterated commitment towards speedy consideration and passage of the N7.298 trillion budget proposal for the 2017 fiscal year presented by President Muhammadu Buhari last week Wednesday.
Breakdown of the proposed aggregate expenditure of N7.298 trillion will comprise of N419.02 billion for Statutory transfers; N1.66 trillion for Debt service; N177.46 billion for Sinking fund to retire certain maturing bonds; N2.98 trillion for Non-debt recurrent expenditure and N2.24 trillion for capital expenditure of N2.24 trillion (including capital in Statutory Transfers).
The budget proposal is expected to be slated for second reading few days after the House resume from the Christmas and New Year break on Tuesday, January 10, 2017.
Femi Gbajabiamila, majority leader, gave the assurance in Abuja during a chat with Legislative Correspondents, pledged that the House will “do our very best to ensure speedy passage of the 2017 budget just presented to us by the President.”
While responding to question on the 3016 budget cycle, Gbajabiamila disclosed that the 2016 Appropriation bill “was eventually passed on the 6th of May, 2016 with a clear understanding that the budget will run for 12 months as enshrined in the constitution.
Therefore despite the laying of 2017 budget by Mr. President on the 14th day of December 2016, the life of the 2016 budget only terminates on May 5, 2017.”
According to him, various standing Committees are to “embark on rigorous oversight functions to ensure that the Ministries and Government Agencies do not abandon the implementation of the 2016 budget. In this context, the House of Representatives will not allow Nigerians suffer from any haphazard implementation of the 2016 budget.
“We will continue to support the Executive with necessary legislative instruments required to increase economic activities in the country and alleviate the suffering of the masses.
“As custodians of peoples’ mandate, we are concerned by the devastating effects of economic recession in the lives of our people. This development led the House into exhaustive debates on ways to get the country out of recession. The debate, which started on the 22nd of September 2016 was concluded on the 6th of October, 2016 with concurrence of the recommendations by the Senate.
“Our joint recommendations to the Executive on the state of the economy arose from researches and field studies gathered through the on-the-spot assessment of our various committees.
“In 2016, the House in an unprecedented move engaged the Heads of Government Ministries in sectoral debates aimed at addressing the different challenges facing sectors of the economy,” Gbajabiamila said.
He also assured that the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by Yussuff Lasun is “conscious of the need to conclude work as soon as possible to forestall a situation whereby the draft amendment will get to Mr. President at a time it will be most difficult for him to appreciate the amended Constitution and assent to it.
While responding to question on the same sex bill mentioned by the Deputy Speaker in his opening remarks at the 2-day retreat, held in Abeokuta, Ogun state, the Majority Leader who allayed fears of Nigerians, disclosed that the House at no time received any bill relating to same sex marriage, adding that the issue has been rested during the seventh Assembly.
Recall that the bill was signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan on the December 10, 2013.
He also assured that the House will not shark in its responsibility to ‘ascertain the proceeds of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to enhance transparency, accountability and good governance, via a motion passed on the 22nd June 2016.
According to him, the House resolved to set up an Adhoc Committee that will liaise with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and any other agency of government that has official role in the implementation of TSA with the view to ascertain the “actual amount realised so far, governments plans in its spending and various agenxies from the such funds were obtained, including a comprehensive list of abandoned projects from which such funds accrued.”
He also re-echo the House resolve to enrich legislations by extending its public engagement to the organised private sector (OPS), judiciary and other democratic institutions as part of efforts geared towards enriching legislations to be enacted by the House.
While giving the outcome of proceedings in the House between January to December 2016, he disclosed that a total of 551 bills were introduced in the House for the first time with 64 cases of consolidation of several bills addressing similar issues. Five of the bills were negative while only 179 passed for second reading and 47 bills successfully passed by the House in the year 2016.
He added that 551 bills were introduced for first reading, 179 passed through second reading, five bills were negative; 64 bills were consolidated while 64 passed through third reading during the year under review.
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