Saraki gives committee Thursday deadline to submit budget report

Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday gave the Appropriations Committee till Thursday to submit the 2019 budget report.

Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Sunny Ogbuoji told the Senate that only 24 out of 61 sub-committees had submitted their reports.

Saraki insisted that the budget report must be presented on Thursday, April 11 ahead of the April 16 approval of the money bill.

The Senate President noted the Appropriations committee will be forced to use Executive submissions if the sub-committees fail to submit their reports to the Committee by Wednesday.

Saraki said, “It is unfortunate that only 24 committees have submitted their reports. Last week, we all took a decision here that we are not going to waiver on our position. Our position is very clear: that all committees should submit (their budget reports). And those that don’t submit, then the Appropriations Committee should use the Executive submission.

“That position is still where we are. And I want to appeal to all our committees that you really have just till tomorrow (Wednesday) to make sure that your reports get to the Appropriations Committee because Thursday, you must lay this report.

“Vice Chairman of Appropriations Committee, if you don’t get report from our committees by tomorrow (Wednesday), then you just use the submission of the Executive. But come Thursday, you must lay that report.”
President Buhari presented the N8.83 trillion budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 19, 2018.