The National Assembly is to revisit the 2011
Appropriation Bill passed by its two chambers following some details yet
to be concluded.
Although both chambers had finished legislative work on the bill, the executive, through the Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga, had raised some observations on the difficulty of implementing the budget because it was subtantially increased by the National Assembly.
The N4.97 trillion passed by both chambers is N745 billion in excess of what was initially submitted to them by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Following the increase in the budget figure, the legislature also increased the benchmark of oil price from $65 to $75.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze, however told our correspondent on Monday that the budget had not been sent to the President for his assent because certain details were yet to be concluded.
He said that although both chambers had passed the budget, some specific details were left unconcluded which would be treated as lawmakers return to legislative business.
He said, “We have passed the budget, but the details have not been fully worked out. We could not finish the details of the budget before we went on break, and we are going to use the time we have to immediately take a look at the details, finish it and send it to the President.”
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives made a U-turn on Monday, saying that it would not override President Goodluck Jonathan should he withhold his assent to the 2011 Appropriation Bill.
The House made a U-turn on Monday as it prepared to resume plenary on Tuesday (today), saying that it could review the budget instead of overriding the President.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Mr. Ita Enang, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, said, “We will look at the progress of the budget. The budget has already left the National Assembly, but we can still look at the progress.
“We cannot be thinking of overriding the President; he has not communicated to us that he will not sign the budget. That has not arisen.
“We will look at the progress of the process; if there are issues to address, we will look at them.”
By Oluwole Josiah, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
Although both chambers had finished legislative work on the bill, the executive, through the Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga, had raised some observations on the difficulty of implementing the budget because it was subtantially increased by the National Assembly.
The N4.97 trillion passed by both chambers is N745 billion in excess of what was initially submitted to them by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Following the increase in the budget figure, the legislature also increased the benchmark of oil price from $65 to $75.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze, however told our correspondent on Monday that the budget had not been sent to the President for his assent because certain details were yet to be concluded.
He said that although both chambers had passed the budget, some specific details were left unconcluded which would be treated as lawmakers return to legislative business.
He said, “We have passed the budget, but the details have not been fully worked out. We could not finish the details of the budget before we went on break, and we are going to use the time we have to immediately take a look at the details, finish it and send it to the President.”
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives made a U-turn on Monday, saying that it would not override President Goodluck Jonathan should he withhold his assent to the 2011 Appropriation Bill.
The House made a U-turn on Monday as it prepared to resume plenary on Tuesday (today), saying that it could review the budget instead of overriding the President.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Mr. Ita Enang, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, said, “We will look at the progress of the budget. The budget has already left the National Assembly, but we can still look at the progress.
“We cannot be thinking of overriding the President; he has not communicated to us that he will not sign the budget. That has not arisen.
“We will look at the progress of the process; if there are issues to address, we will look at them.”
By Oluwole Josiah, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
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