Reps To Pass 2022 Appropriation Bill Next Wednesday

The House of Representatives has said the 2022 Appropriation Bill will be passed as scheduled next week Wednesday.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu, while briefing journalists on Thursday, said the Committee on Appropriations would tentatively lay its report on the budget on Tuesday, while the chamber would proceed on holiday on Thursday.

Kalu said, “Let us be hopeful. Everything will go as planned. As it is, most of the committees have sent in their reports about what they have done so far with the various MDAs. So, we are not lagging (behind) in that area.

“The Appropriations Committee is busy going through all the reports of the committees to make sure that the envelope for every ministry, department or agency is in order with what has been provided for them.

“We are on course with regard to the budget and the calendar is very dear to us and we are going to ensure that it is not different from the previous ones. Let me re-echo it that December 14 is the day we are looking at laying the report on the budget.

“We are also looking at winding down possibly on the 16th for the Christmas and end of the year holidays. The date for our resumption, I will make that known to you at next week’s briefing.”

The Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Aliyu Betara, had on October 14, 2021, said the lawmakers had scheduled the passage of the 2022 Appropriation Bill for December 15, 2021.

Betara had said the committee was to lay its report on the budget on December 14, which the House is expected to consider and adopt the next day.