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March 30 no Longer Feasible for Budget Passage — Reps

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House of representatives
  • March 30 no Longer Feasible for Budget Passage — Reps

About 86 out of the 96 standing committees of the House of Representatives have failed to produce any report on the 2017 budget.

The development is an indication of more delays for the N7.29tn budget.

The Committee on Appropriations wrote the House for the second time on Thursday to complain that “over 80 per cent” of the committees had not reported on the budget.

This implies that just about 10 out of the 96 committees had produced their reports after over three weeks of consistently failing to meet the deadline for the submission of the reports.

The committee’s complaint, which was read to members on the floor of the House by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, noted that the House might be forced to pass all executive proposals in the budget in the absence of the committees’ reports.

“Three weeks after the deadline, over 80 per cent of standing committees have yet to submit their reports,” Dogara read from a document submitted to the House by the Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, Mr. Mustapha Dawaki.

Most of the committees had unresolved issues with ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government regarding the details of their budget proposals.

As of Friday, investigations showed that the committees were still struggling to reconcile figures after receiving budget details from “a number of MDAs.”

Our findings also indicated that without the reports, the budget would not be passed by the legislature.

Similarly, a source in the Committee on Appropriations said there were unanswered questions that were supposed to guide the committee taking decisions.

The source said, “For instance, will the budget size increase or reduce? Are we retaining $42.5 as the benchmark? Are we retaining the proposed N305/dollar exchange rate or it will change?”

Speaking on the issue, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, confirmed that the March 30 date scheduled for the passage of the budget by the National Assembly was no longer feasible.

Namdas explained that apart from the committee reports not being ready, the Federal Executive Council was approving additional projects to be included in the 2017 budget.

“There are a number of issues and we can’t promise that March 30 is sacrosanct. There is a new budget software different from the one in use before, and besides, the FEC is daily approving new projects to be included in the budget. However, we will try our best to ensure that all the committees submit their reports,” he said.

On its part, the Senate has extended the period for which its committees are to submit their reports on the 2017 Appropriation Bill to the Committee on Appropriations for harmonisation, it was learnt on Friday.

The committee is expected to present a unified report to the Senate for passage.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly said the delay was caused by other legislative work, including the confirmation hearing held for the acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, and the summon and appearance of the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.).

The lawmakers had planned to pass the budget on March 8, 2017.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, who is also a member of the Committee on Appropriations, told one of our correspondents that the submission of reports was expected to be concluded this week.

He said, “I don’t know anything about deadlines; we have a time line. But if you look at the way we have been working, other things have interrupted the process and the period of work. We are making efforts to see that by next week, we are able to conclude the receipt of reports.”

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Businessinsider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Government

Senate Suspends Senator Abdul Ningi for 3 Months Over Budget Padding Allegations

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Abdul-Ahmed-Ningi

The Senate has announced the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi for three months following his allegations of budget padding to the tune of N3.7 trillion in the 2024 budget.

Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central and chairs the Senate Committee on Population, had made the claims in a recent interview with the Hausa service of the BBC.

During a plenary session, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, raised a motion to address Ningi’s allegations, citing the urgent need to address what he termed as “false allegations.”

The transcript of Ningi’s interview was read on the Senate floor, prompting deliberation on the appropriate action to take.

Initially, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim proposed a 12-month suspension for Ningi, but Senator Chris Ekpeyong moved to reduce it to six months.

Eventually, Senator Garba Maidoki amended the motion further, suggesting a three-month suspension.

The amended motion was put to a voice vote, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the decision to suspend Ningi for three months.

Following the ruling, Ningi was escorted out of the Senate chamber by the Sergeants-at-arms.

The suspension comes amidst division within the Senate over Ningi’s claims, with some senators disowning his allegations and calling for a thorough investigation.

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Government

Ekiti Governor Unveils Multi-Billion Naira Relief Programmes Amid Economic Crisis

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Biodun Oyebanji

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, has announced a comprehensive relief package aimed at alleviating the hardship faced by the people of the state.

The relief programs encompass various sectors to cushion the impact of the economic downturn.

One of the key initiatives entails clearing salary arrears amounting to over N2.7 billion owed to both State and Local Government workers.

This move signifies the government’s commitment to addressing the financial burdens faced by its workforce.

Furthermore, Governor Oyebanji has approved a substantial increase of N600 million per month in the subvention of autonomous institutions, including the Judiciary and tertiary institutions.

This augmentation is intended to enable these institutions to implement wage awards in alignment with State and Local Government workers’ salaries.

In addition to addressing salary arrears, the relief programs extend to pensioners, with the approval of payments totaling N1.5 billion for two months’ pension arrears.

Moreover, an increase in the monthly gratuity payment to state pensioners and local government pensioners will provide additional financial support, totaling N200 million monthly.

The relief initiatives also encompass agricultural and small-scale business sectors.

The allocation of funds for food production and livestock transformation projects underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing food security and economic sustainability at the grassroots level.

Governor Oyebanji emphasized that these relief programs are part of the state’s concerted efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of the economic downturn and foster shared prosperity.

The comprehensive nature of the initiatives reflects a proactive approach towards addressing the challenges faced by Ekiti State residents.

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President Tinubu Orders Immediate Settlement of N342m Electricity Bill for Presidential Villa

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power project

President Bola Tinubu has directed the prompt settlement of a N342 million outstanding electricity bill owed by the Presidential Villa to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

This move comes in response to the reconciliation of accounts between the State House Management and the AEDC.

The AEDC had earlier threatened to disconnect electricity services to the Presidential Villa and 86 Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) over a total outstanding debt of N47.20 billion as of December 2023.

Contrary to the initial claim by the AEDC that the State House owed N923 million in electricity bills, the Presidency clarified that the actual outstanding amount is N342.35 million.

This discrepancy underscores the importance of accurate accounting and reconciliation between entities.

In a statement signed by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency affirmed the commitment to settle the debt promptly.

Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila assured that the debt would be paid to the AEDC before the end of the week.

The directive from the Presidency extends beyond the State House, as Gbajabiamila urged other MDAs to reconcile their accounts with the AEDC and settle their outstanding electricity bills.

The AEDC, on its part, issued a 10-day notice to the affected government agencies to settle their debts or face disconnection.

This development highlights the importance of financial accountability and responsible management of public utilities.

It also underscores the necessity for government entities to fulfill their financial obligations to service providers promptly, ensuring uninterrupted services and avoiding potential disruptions.

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