BY Oluseyi Awojulugbe
The senate says the report on the 2018 budget will be considered and passed on May 16, 2018 — six months after it was presented by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, senate spokesman, made this known on Wednesday while addressing a press conference.
In November 2017, the senate had first postponed a debate on the 2018 budget because the 2018-2020 medium term expenditure framework (MTEF).
In March, Abdullahi had said there was no date for the budget passage but Tuesday, May 8, had been chosen by the house of representatives for budget passage.
“It was supposed to be laid this week, but they are putting finishing touches. They are being careful so as not to make mistakes. The report would be laid Tuesday and by Wednesday, we will approve it,” he said.
“The good next thing is that it is the harmonised version (that would be laid). So whatever is laid in the senate would be laid in the house of representatives, and it would be considered and passed same time.”
In 2017, Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, had announced that the federal executive council would like the country to move to a January-December budget calendar.
Ahmad Lawan, senate majority leader, had said it was not compulsory to pass the budget before December 31.
“The 2017 budget took effect from June this year, if it is possible for us to complete the implementation of the budget in six months from June, so be it. But that also requires that we implement the budget properly because these are projects that are supposed to bring succour to Nigerians, and if it is not possible, we shouldn’t force it on ourselves that we must terminate it,” the senator had said.
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