Reps break 2018 Budget laying promise

The expectation that the 2018 budget would be lad this week dissipated Tuesday as there was no indication that such would happen.

Last week, the House of Representatives promised that the budget would be laid this week Tuesday and passed before the end of the week, but the Order paper of the House Carried no such item. Journalists who were on the watch out for the laying of the budget were disappointed.

The National Assembly had assured that 2018 Budget will be passed this week,

While briefing reporters at the National Assembly on Thursday last week, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Abdulrasak Namdas had said that the 2018 Appropriation bill will be passed into law this week.

He said: “By the Grace of God, we will lay the budget on Tuesday and then try to pass it that same week.

“But where laying it on Tuesday and I can assure you that within that same week, we’re going to pass it.

“We tried to do that, but you know, the budget is a voluminous document.. Actually, we’ve been working hard so that we can beat the deadline, and hopefully this time around, I can assure you that by next week, everything about the budget will be concluded and passed..”

Similarly, the Senate gave the same assurance on the passage of the budget this week.

But the leadership of the National Assembly on Monday at the Villa during a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari gave the promise a little twist while speaking with journalists.

While speaking with reporters, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki said the budget may be laid this week, but would be passed next week.

This further compounds be conflicting dates given by the Legislature on when the Appropriation Bill would be passed.

Before the Tuesday date given for the laying of the budget, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara had promised late April for the passage of the bill while the Chairman House Committee on Appropriation, Mustapha Dawaki had promised this current month of May.

Though the the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Abdulrasak Namdas was said to be in South Africa as at yesterday, repeated calls to his phone number were not answered.

Repeated efforts to speak with him did not yield any fruit as at the time of filing this report.

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