2019 Budget Bill to Wait As NASS Shifts Plenary
The passage of 2019 Appropriation Bill suffers another setback as National Assembly has announced the postponement of its resumption scheduled for Tuesday Feb. 19 to Tuesday Feb. 26.
The Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Mohammed Sani-Omolori, made this known in a statement on Sunday.
He said the postponement became necessary following the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections to Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.
“This is to inform all distinguished senators and honourable members that resumption of plenary session earlier scheduled for Tuesday Feb. 19 has been postponed to Tuesday, Feb. 26, due to the postponement of the national elections.
“All distinguished senators and honourable members are expected to resume plenary session by 10 a.m. on Feb. 26 please,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Senate on Jan. 24 adjourned plenary until Feb. 19 to enable preparations for the Feb. 16 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
NAN further reports that the Senate did not consider the 2019 Appropriation Bill before it proceeded on the break.
It however passed the Minimum Wage Bill through first and second reading.
Some Nigerians in the last few months had decried the latest postponement of the resumption date for the National Assembly saying it would delay budget 2019 deliberations for 2019 general elections.
They expressed their displeasure while speaking with our correspondent in Lagos.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr Mohammed Omolori, had on Sunday announced that the National Assembly rescheduled resumption from its recess.
Omolori explained that the postponement was due to the activities of elections by political parties.
Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise for Change Initiative (WA), said the shift in date for NASS resumption might affect the preparation for the forthcoming general elections by the electoral body.
She urged the Executive arm and NASS to ensure speedy approval of the proposed budget for 2019 general elections by burying their differences in the over-all interest of the nation.