News Post

Know Your Parliament

SENATE ISSUES A WEEK ULTIMATUM TO AGENCIES AND PARASTATALS OVER 2017 BUDGET

SENATE ISSUES A WEEK ULTIMATUM TO AGENCIES AND PARASTATALS OVER 2017 BUDGET
The Senate on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 issued one week ultimatum to Federal Government Agencies and Parastatals over the non-submission of their 2017 Appropriation Bill which it said violated the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
The Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) rose under Point of Order 42 & 43 to draw the attention of the Chamber over the violation of Fiscal Responsibility Act which stipulates that Government Agencies and Parastatals are to submit their annual budgetary proposal to the National Assembly within the first six months of the year.

Sen. Lawan asserted that this is the seventh month of the year and some Agencies and Parastatals have not submitted their budget proposal to the various Committees of the Senate for consideration. He urged the Chamber to impose a week ultimatum on the erring Agencies and Parastatals to submit their annual estimates or risk the sanction of the National Assembly. 

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu seconded the Motion, stating that the Fiscal Responsibility Act must be strictly complied with, stressing that it is no longer business as usual. Other Senators that contributed in favour of the Motion include Sen. Ahmed Rufa’i Sani, Sen. Obinna Ogba and Isa Hamma Misau. The Motion scaled through with three resolutions below:
i) Allow the Agencies and Parastatals to submit their budgetary proposal to the various Senate Committees within a week.
ii) The submission of the Agencies’ Budgets to the Committees must be done within one week.
iii) Consideration of the Agencies and Parastatals 2017 Budgets must be done by the Senate within the next two weeks that is before the National Assembly embark on this year’s Annual Legislative long recess.
   

Share this Post: