Senate Rejects Committee’s Request to Present Budget Report Next Week

Deji Elumoye

The Senate yesterday turned down the request of the Chairman of its Committee on Appropriation, Senator Jibril Barau, for an additional week to present the committee’s report on the 2021 Supplementary Bill sent to the upper chamber by the executive arm.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter dated June 15, 2021, and sent a Supplementary Appropriation Bill of N895.842 billion to the Senate for necessary legislative action and passage.

Last Wednesday, the Senate referred the president’s request to its Committee on Appropriation for proper scrutiny leading to the preparation of a report for deliberation by the Senate at the plenary.

But at the resumption of plenary yesterday, Senator Barau had told the Senate that more work needed to be done on the Appropriation Bill hence the need for more time for the committee to do a thorough job.

He, therefore, asked the Senate to allow the committee to turn in its report at plenary next Tuesday.

According to him, “We were given the mandate to submit the report today. I want to inform this distinguish Senate that we started work on the bill. We discovered that we needed more time because we feel we must meet the minimum standard set out by the rules of this Senate in processing the bill.

“The expected period we feel we will be able to do this is this week, and submit our report next Tuesday. I appeal that the Senate should permit us to submit our report on Tuesday next.”

Responding, the Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawal, rejected the request for more time, saying the committee had enough time since last Wednesday to complete its report.

Lawan said: “Chairman, you will not have more than today (yesterday). This is a very straightforward supplementary budget request. So it doesn’t need two weeks to work on it. And you remember, we have a lineup of so many important bills to consider in this Senate.

“So you have today to do it and we will receive it tomorrow. Please because I’m sure you had the entire weekend from last Wednesday, almost six days. That should be enough. This is just two sectors.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has transmitted a 2021 Supplementary Appropriation Bill of N895.842 billion to the Senate for necessary legislative action and passage.