The Senate yesterday constituted a six-man conference committee to harmonise the controversial 2014 budget oil benchmark.

Senate President, David Mark, named Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, as Chairman of the new committee.

Others members are Senators Ita Enang, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Smart Adeyemi, Ayo Akinyelure and Bello Tukur.

Mark urged them to meet their House of Representatives counterparts to harmonise the differences between the two chambers on the oil benchmark

President Goodluck Jonathan had based his refusal to present the 2014 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, on the failure of the two chambers to harmonise their positions on 2014 appropriation oil benchmark.

The Presidency had fixed the benchmark at $74 per barrel, while the Senate and House of Representatives fixed the benchmark at $76.50 per barrel and $79 per barrel respectively.

Jonathan said it was infeasible for him to present the 2014 budget without harmonisation of the figures.