No fewer than 22 Senate Standing Committees have yet to submit reports of the 2021 budget defence of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) under their supervision for Appropriation.
The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, disclosed this on Tuesday at the resumed plenary in Abuja after five weeks of budget defence.
The Senate had suspended plenary on October 20, to enable the sub-committees of the Appropriations Committee, also known as standing committees, to hold the 2021 budget defence sessions.
The Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, Jibrin Barau, had before the suspension of plenary said the budget would be passed in December.
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He said the various committees of the Senate were expected to submit their reports from November 11 to 18 for harmonization with their House of Representatives counterparts.
In his remarks last week, after some chairmen submitted their budget reports, Barau had emphasised that the senate would keep to the December budget cycle.
But Lawan at the plenary said only 22 committees were able to beat the November 18 deadline.
He stated that the committees lagging behind in submitting their reports, would work till Friday and present their work to the Appropriations Committee, which would present the collated reports to Senate in plenary next week.
Lawan, however, appreciated his colleagues for working tirelessly within the period, to ensure that the 2021 budget was considered and passed, in keeping with the new budget cycle of January to December.
