Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, disclosed that the Senate will next week Monday, 21st December 2020, hold a special session to pass the 2021 budget presented before the National Assembly.
Lawan spoke on Wednesday during plenary session, following a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, APC – Kebbi North and seconded by the Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, PDP, Abia South.
According to the President of the Senate, the delay in the passage of the budget was to allow the Committee on Appropriations include a late request for additional expenditures from the Executive arm of government.
Lawan said, “Our Committee on Appropriations has been working round the clock. We had planned to receive the report of the Committee on Appropriations today, but there was a late request for some more expenditures from the Executive arm of Government, and we want to ensure that our Committee does work to produce a clean document, so they can’t present this document today.
“However, the Committee has said the report will be ready by weekend. Consequently, we will hold a special session on Monday, the 21st of December, 2020, just to consider and pass the budget 2021.
“This is in keeping with our legislative agenda of ensuring that the annual budget has a January to December cycle. We did that last year, and by the grace of God, we will do it again.”
Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday stepped down the consideration of the Conference Committee Report 2021 – 2023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).
The request to step down the consideration of the 2021 – 2023 MTEF report till Thursday, 17th December, 2020 was moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi and seconded by the Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe.
