The National Assembly yesterday lamented the failure of the executive to provide the details of the 2024 budget presented before them.
During the debate on the budget on Thursday, lawmakers raised concerns over the lack of details for deliberations.
Some of the senators lamented that they were working based on assumptions and projections made on revenues and expenditures in the proposals by Tinubu.
The first to object was Senator Kawu Sumaila (New Nigerian People’s Party, Kano South), who stated that it was an aberration for lawmakers to debate the budget without seeing the details of what they were to consider.
Sumaila said, “We cannot be considering a budget whose details we have not seen. We don’t have the sectoral breakdown; how do we know if we are doing the right thing? I don’t think we should be debating the budget now.
This was followed by Senator Mohammed Onawo (PDP, Nasarawa South), who said he did not have the details of the budget, but based on a presentation made by the President, the projections and assumptions were realistic.
Senator Garba Medoki (Kebbi South) said, “We can’t thoroughly debate this budget without the details. And I am speaking from the point of view that the past administration was not fair to us in Kebbi State.
“I need to see the details to be sure that this administration will be fair to my people.
“I am speaking on good authority that we the people of Kebbi don’t want the palliative that the President is giving; we want it converted to capital roads and used to fix our roads so that our people can earn a living.”
They however applauded President Bola Tinubu for his good intentions for the country
Indications emerged on Friday that the National Assembly would pass the 2024 Appropriation Bill of N27.5tn on Tuesday, December 19.
The Senate and the House of Representatives had earlier on Friday passed the ‘Renewed Hope’ budget for second reading.
The Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, hinted during the plenary that the budget might be passed by the lawmakers on December 19 before embarking on their Christmas and New Year break.
The budget was passed for second reading and referred to the Committee on Appropriations after being put to a voice vote by Barau, who presided over the session.
“The budget is hereby referred to the Committee on Appropriations and the committee is mandated to submit the report to this chamber on December 19,” Barau stated.
The President had on Wednesday presented to a joint session of the National Assembly the budget, which he named, ‘Budget of Renewed Hope’.
Tinubu pegged the budget deficit for the 2024 fiscal year at N9.18tn.
He said the deficit would represent 3.88 per cent of the country’s total Gross Domestic Product.
Tinubu stated, “The N9.18tn deficit is lower than the N13.78tn deficit recorded in 2023, which represented 6.11 per cent of the GDP.
“The deficit will be financed by new borrowings totalling N7.83tn; N298.49bn from privatisation proceeds and N1.05tn drawdown on multilateral and bilateral loans secured for specific development projects.”
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