Kayode Shopekan
SENATE President, Ahmed Lawan, has urged all subcommittees to come and defend their budgets before the appropriation committee latest by Wednesday.
Lawan speaking on Tuesday during plenary said tomorrow (November 24)will be the last day for the budget defense by sub-committees of the appropriation committee before the Committee on Appropriation.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“We are behind schedule with some of our committees. So I’m sure those committees that should have appeared before the Committee on Appropriation but could not; may have had some challenges with getting some details from the MDAs.
“Tomorrow (Wednesday), no matter what, they have to conclude with the budget defense by the sub-committees before the Committee on Appropriation.
“I’m sure that our committees will be able to appear before the Committee on Appropriation by Wednesday and I will also urge the Committee on Appropriation to make itself available to our sub-committees.
“At least, we have up to the weekend to conclude on the work of defense by the sub-committees before the Appropriation Committee so that it is able to also work, compile the document for us to work with when we come to the next segment of budget processing, we lay it for consideration and passage,” he added.
The Senate President further said: “it is very essential to stick to our timetable otherwise, we may run into very serious problems with our time for the budget to be considered and passed by December 14.
“It is gladdening however, that all our committees have finished their budget defense with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as products by this senate,” the senate president said.
Mr Lawan, while noting however that there was delay on the part of other committees, urged them to work expeditiously to meet up with the scheduled date.
“We have a little bit of delay. We are behind schedule with some of our committees. So I’m sure those committees that should have appeared before the Committee on Appropriation but could not; may have had some challenges with getting some details from the MDAs.
“Tomorrow (Wednesday), no matter what, they have to conclude with the budget defense by the sub-committees before the Committee on Appropriation.
“I’m sure that our committees will be able to appear before the Committee on Appropriation by Wednesday and I will also urge the Committee on Appropriation to make itself available to our sub-committees.
“At least, we have up to the weekend to conclude on the work of defense by the sub-committees before the Appropriation Committee so that it is able to also work, compile the document for us to work with when we come to the next segment of budget processing, we lay it for consideration and passage,” he added.
