Blame executive for 2016 budget delay — Reps
THE House of Representatives, yesterday, berated the
executive arm of government for hampering early
passage of the 2016 budget and promised to reconcile
discrepancies in figures within one week to ensure that
the budget is passed second week of March.
The House Committee on Appropriation will meet with the
Minister of Finance and that of the Budget and National
Planning next Thursday to reconcile all areas of
differences.
This is just as the House Committee on Finance disclosed
that the sum of N777.2 billion was recovered during the
reconciliation of the subsidy payment last year.
Chairman of the Finance Committee, Rep Babangida
Ibrahim gave the hint during the presentation of budget
report from the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and
Fiscal Commission, RMFAC, Accountant -General of the
Federation and Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
He also requested for additional sum of N118 million for
personnel cost of the RMFAC, which was cut down by the
Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning.
Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Rep.
Abdulmumini Jibrin who accused the executive of slowing
down the quick passage of the budget during the collation
of reports from the 86 House Standing Committees also
said that the House will no longer wait for the Senate for
the conclusion of budget defence.
Jibrin who expressed worry over the way the executive
arm is delaying quick passage of the budget through
budget defence, said that even if the appropriation was to
be re-written, three and half months were enough to do
so.
According to him, “It is the executive arm that is putting
us under pressure to see the budget passed. Some MDAs
(ministries, departments and agencies) have failed to
appear for budget defence.”
Collaborating his position the Chairman of Appropriation
Committee, the Chairman of Petroleum Resources,
downstream, Rep Joseph Akinlaja disclosed that the
Minister of State for Petroleum Ibe Kachukwu failed to
appear before the committee to defend the budgets of the
ministry and that of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation.
Rep Akinlaja said his committee sent a letter four times to
the minister and rescheduled the defence in order to
make it convenient for the minister to ensure for a
peaceful collaboration between the executive and the
legislature and to have a mutually agreeable time.
He said this never achieved anything result as the
minister only sent a team of his officials from the
ministry and NNPC because he was away for official
engagement.
The Appropriation Committee Chairman, however,
assured that the committee will wait for nobody again as
it was ready to ensure it was passed as quickly as
possible.
He said in the next one week, the figures will be
reconciled and the House will align the budget with the
policy thrust of government, adding that it was not going
to wait for the Senate again having waited for one week
to ensure the the Senate meet up with the House.
He noted that some of the committees that are yet to
present their budget reports was as a result of the
problem of harmonisation with the Senate, adding that
the House will no longer wait for the Senate.
Jibrin regretted that going by the budgetary allocations to
the critical sectors, there was no evidence that
government was serious with the diversification of the
economy especially in the area of solid minerals.
He said that the committee would work assiduously on
the 2016 Budget defence reports and make necessary
adjustments in order to save the country’s dwindling
economy.
The appropriation Chairman promised that the Committee
will look into various budgetary allocations to key sectors
of the economy to ensure they are aligned with the policy
thrust of the present government.
executive arm of government for hampering early
passage of the 2016 budget and promised to reconcile
discrepancies in figures within one week to ensure that
the budget is passed second week of March.
The House Committee on Appropriation will meet with the
Minister of Finance and that of the Budget and National
Planning next Thursday to reconcile all areas of
differences.
This is just as the House Committee on Finance disclosed
that the sum of N777.2 billion was recovered during the
reconciliation of the subsidy payment last year.
Chairman of the Finance Committee, Rep Babangida
Ibrahim gave the hint during the presentation of budget
report from the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and
Fiscal Commission, RMFAC, Accountant -General of the
Federation and Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
He also requested for additional sum of N118 million for
personnel cost of the RMFAC, which was cut down by the
Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning.
Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Rep.
Abdulmumini Jibrin who accused the executive of slowing
down the quick passage of the budget during the collation
of reports from the 86 House Standing Committees also
said that the House will no longer wait for the Senate for
the conclusion of budget defence.
Jibrin who expressed worry over the way the executive
arm is delaying quick passage of the budget through
budget defence, said that even if the appropriation was to
be re-written, three and half months were enough to do
so.
According to him, “It is the executive arm that is putting
us under pressure to see the budget passed. Some MDAs
(ministries, departments and agencies) have failed to
appear for budget defence.”
Collaborating his position the Chairman of Appropriation
Committee, the Chairman of Petroleum Resources,
downstream, Rep Joseph Akinlaja disclosed that the
Minister of State for Petroleum Ibe Kachukwu failed to
appear before the committee to defend the budgets of the
ministry and that of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation.
Rep Akinlaja said his committee sent a letter four times to
the minister and rescheduled the defence in order to
make it convenient for the minister to ensure for a
peaceful collaboration between the executive and the
legislature and to have a mutually agreeable time.
He said this never achieved anything result as the
minister only sent a team of his officials from the
ministry and NNPC because he was away for official
engagement.
The Appropriation Committee Chairman, however,
assured that the committee will wait for nobody again as
it was ready to ensure it was passed as quickly as
possible.
He said in the next one week, the figures will be
reconciled and the House will align the budget with the
policy thrust of government, adding that it was not going
to wait for the Senate again having waited for one week
to ensure the the Senate meet up with the House.
He noted that some of the committees that are yet to
present their budget reports was as a result of the
problem of harmonisation with the Senate, adding that
the House will no longer wait for the Senate.
Jibrin regretted that going by the budgetary allocations to
the critical sectors, there was no evidence that
government was serious with the diversification of the
economy especially in the area of solid minerals.
He said that the committee would work assiduously on
the 2016 Budget defence reports and make necessary
adjustments in order to save the country’s dwindling
economy.
The appropriation Chairman promised that the Committee
will look into various budgetary allocations to key sectors
of the economy to ensure they are aligned with the policy
thrust of the present government.
