The Senate has said it would would pass the 2019 budget by April 16.
This comes as President Muhammadu Buhari has declined assent to the controversial National Housing Fund Bill and seven other bills passed by the National Assembly.
Specifically, the Upper Legislative Chamber urged sub-committees to the Appropriation Committee to submit their reports by Friday this week, even as the Appropriation panel was mandated to submit its report from April 9 to 11, 2019.
Senate President Bukola Saraki who announced this at Tuesday plenary, also adjourned plenary to April 9 to enable relevant committees complete budget defence sessions with Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Speaking after the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Sunny Ogbuoji (APC, Ebonyi) disclosed on the floor that less than 10 committees had submitted their reports, Saraki who presided over the session revealed that the report would be considered by next week and passed on April 16.
“Let us agree that they will submit by Friday. We will suspend plenary just for a week till 9th (of April). We should be able to reconvene here by Tuesday and lay the report by 9th, 10th and 11th of April. And pass this budget by the 16th. Because we have the Easter break coming as well. We don’t have that luxury of time,” Saraki said.
The Senate President also told lawmakers that any sub-committee that fails to submit its report to the Appropriations Committee by Friday, the Appropriations panel will be empowered to present the submission of the Executive.
It would be recalled that President Buhari had submitted the N8.83 trillion 2019 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 19, 2018.
Other bills rejected by President Buhari include the Ajaokuta Steel Company Completion Fund Bill, Nigerian Aeronautical Search and Rescue Bill, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency Bill, National Biotechnology Development Agency Bill, National Institute of Credit Administration Bill, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria Bill as well as the Chattered Institute of Training and Development of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill.
