Senate Gives Agencies One-Week To Submit 2017 Budgets

The Senate on Wednesday directed all agencies and of the Federal Government who are yet to submit their 2017 budgets for assessment and passage to do so.

The upper legislative arm gave the affected agencies one week ultimatum to submit their budgets to the National Assembly for approval.

The directive followed a motion by the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, during plenary.

Lawan said according to the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, the Senate is yet to receive the budgets of the agencies.

Lawan said the agencies failed to comply with the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.

“Last year, 2016, those proposals were submitted with annual appropriation. We need to have
budget appropriations properly passed for these agencies and corporations.

“I believe that the time is already late but we still have to pass the budgets of these agencies.

“I, therefore, move that this Senate resolves that agencies that have not submitted those proposals in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act must do so within the next one week,” Lawan said.

The motion was seconded by Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, who urged the agencies to immediately comply with the law by submitting their budgets.

Also speaking, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki said that, “in line with the Act, these budget estimates of the agencies should have come along with the budget presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari”.

“We have the intention that we will like to pass the budget before we leave. We should allow that the parastatals can submit those budgets to the committees which will now send to the leadership for it to be coordinated,

“By doing this, it is the kind of waiver that we are doing for the purpose of this year.

“The budget submission by these agencies must be done within a week,” Saraki said.

The agencies according to the Senate include Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Nigerian Ports Authority, amongst others.