Senate fixes Nov 30 for presentation of N20.5trn 2023 budget reports

*As Appropriations C’ttee insists on adherence to time table

Reports on N20.5trillion 2023 budgetary proposals presented to joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari last month, is to be laid on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.

This is as the chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Jibrin Barau (APC Kano North), urged chairmen of the various committees to adhere strictly to time table drawn for consideration of the budget.

Senator Barau, who briefed the press Friday on planned programme for budget consideration at committee level and report presentation in plenary, said strict adherence is expected from all the committees.

According to him, while budget hearings /engagements with heads of ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs by Appropriations sub-committees, are expected to take place from October 13 to November 3, submission and defence of budget reports by the sub – committees are fixed for November 4-11, 2022.

He added that collation/harmonization of Reports by Appropriations Committee under his leadership, will take place from Friday, November 11 to Friday, November 25, 2022.

“Laying/presentation of the report by Appropriations Committee to the Senate in plenary, is fixed for Wednesday, 30th November, 2022,” he said.

Senator Barau, however, said the sub committees have been given another chance to appear from Monday with a subtle warning that failure to comply will force the main committee to do the job for them.

The chairman, who directed the Clerk of the committee to write all those concerned again emphasised the need to adhere strictly to the time table to ensure that the budget will be passed in December.

He said: “I want to say again that we shall not fail to go on with our commitment, making sure we do everything humanly possible to get this budget passed before the end of this year. It has been the practice in this 9th National Assembly and we shall not derail this laudable practice that everybody is happy with.

“We must adhere strictly to the time table. Those who have not appeared today, we give them another chance to appear on Monday. If they refuse to appear on Monday, and I hope they will not. We are optimistic they will appear on Monday.

“If you don’t appear, of course we have our way of dealing with that kind of problem because the Appropriation Committee will then take charge of what they are supposed to do, not really taking into consideration what they are supposed to bring ab initio.

“Normally the sub committee will liaise with the ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs under its purview, interact with them, scrutinise the budget and bring the report to us.”

Apparently in adhering to the time table, many other the committees have started adopting the quick fix option of ‘take a bow and go for budget considerations of the MDAs.

Specifically, the Committee on Interior headed by Senator Kashim Shetimma (APC Borno Central), adopted the option on Friday for the Ministry of Interior, Fire Service and Correctional Service by telling the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, to lay proposed 2023 budgets of the ministry along with those of the affected agencies and take a bow and go.