….Abuja Airport repairs, other key projects to be included in budget
The Presidency and the leadership of the National Assembly have resolved key differences in the 2017 budget that threatened the early passage of the budget.
At a meeting between the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo and the leadership of the National Assembly on Wednesday night, it was agreed that the budget should be structured in a manner that would give priority attention to all existing capital projects to avoid the problem of abandoned projects.
Senate sources revealed on Thursday that the meeting frowned at the tradition of leaving out key projects in the Budget only to take care of them later through extra-budgetary expenditure.
Accordingly, it was said to have been agreed that projects like the N6.9 billon Abuja Airport rehabilitation which was not provided for in the 2017 budget should be captured in the capital aspect of the budget.
The meeting held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa at the instance of Osinbajo was attended by Senate President Bukola Saraki, House of Representative Speaker Yakubu Dogara, other principal officers of the National Assembly, Ministers of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, her counterpart in Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma as well as heads of key agencies.
Before Wednesday meeting, the Senate leadership met with chairmen of all senate committees to get information on proplems that were threatening the early passage of the budget.
The Villa meeting was said to have directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) yet to defend their budget proposal to immediately do so.
The Source further said that key road projects like the Lagos-Ibadan road would be given more funds to facilitate their early completion.
Saraki had on Wednesday morning tasked Senate Committee Chairmen to fast track legislative work on the 2017 budget proposal being defended by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government, (MDAs).
Saraki, who gave the directive during a closed door meeting with the chairmen and leadership of the Upper Chamber, asked the lawmakers to critically look at the budget estimates of the various MDAs with a view to ensuring accountability.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had on December 14, 2016 presented to a joint session of the National Assembly a N7.298tn budget proposal.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Chairman, Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory, Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) provided insights on what transpired during the closed door meeting.
He said: “We discussed the budget and the President of the Senate has asked we expedite action in the passage for the budget.
“He also asked that critical areas in the budget be properly investigated and looked into.”
According to the lawmaker, issues on areas where there had been alarming provisions that were not realistic was also raised at the meeting.
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