2016 Budget To Run Till May, Says Senate

The Chairman of the committee, Danjuma Goje, who made this known, stated that the 2016 Appropriation Act, provides that the budget must run for 12 months, beginning from the days it was approved.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari assented to the budget on May 6, 2016, after about 4 months delay following allegations of padding.

The lawmaker said the National Assembly carefully created the clause to put an end to any unnecessary anxiety about the duration of the 2016 budget.

“In line with the provision of Section 318 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) the bill (2016 Appropriation Bill) will run for a course of 12 months starting from the date it is assented into law,” said Mr. Goje.

“As far as the Bill that was signed into law by Mr. President is concerned, there will be no mop up on 31st March 2017 since the validity period for the 2016 budget ends midnight May 5th, 2017

“If that is done, it will be a violation of the Act. We carefully created the clause that made provision for May 5, 2017.

“The Act says that the 2016 budget will run for 12 months starting from the date the bill was assented to and it was assented to on May 6th 2016.”

According to him, before the expiration of the 2016 budget, the National Assembly would have passed the 2017 Budget proposal by President Buhari.

“It is necessary for Nigerians to know that there should be no anxiety about mopping up of funds by March 31,” he said.

“We do not have to extend the 2016 budget. If May comes and there is need to extend, then we can do otherwise. I believe before that date the 2017 budget must have been passed. We don’t have to do any extension because we have taken care of that. Therefore no anxiety, no mopping up of funds before 12 months period.”