The 2016 budget will not be passed today as promised by the National Assembly. It will now be passed on Tuesday, according to Senate leader Ali Ndume.

The Appropriation Committees of the two chambers at a news conference last week promised that the N6.08 trillion 2016 budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 22, 2015, will be passed today.

The initial date of February 25 to pass the budget failed.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, told reporters in Abuja  that the budget will be “laid” today.
Abdullahi, who is also a member of the Appropriation Committee, noted that after laying the budget, only administrative work will be needed.

Anxiety mounted yesterday following the failure of the Appropriation Committee to lay the budget as promised before Senate adjourned.

There was also no mention of the budget during the Senate plenary.

But Abdullahi said: “God willing. we are laying the budget tomorrow (today). I can assure Nigerians that the budget will be laid tomorrow(today). That tells you that a lot of work has been done on the budget.

Abdullahi noted that Nigerians are aware of “the back and front of the budget” saying that by scheduling March 17 to pass the budget, they merely set a target for themselves.

Abdullahi said: “All is almost set for the laying of the 2016 budget tomorrow (today) in the senate chamber as we have promised Nigerians and with that, one or two processes that are required will take place and we will have our budget as promised.”

After passage on March 22, Ndume added that a clean copy will be transmitted to President Buhari on, March 23.

It is expected that after laying it, Senators would be given copies of the fiscal document to read in detail before its possible passage onMarch 22,

Source: The Nation