Lawmakers Agree to Remove Inclusions in Budget

By Damilola Oyedele in Abuja

Members of the House of Representatives have agreed to remove certain inclusions padded into the 2016 budget following moves by the leadership of the House to resolve the impasse over the 2016 budget.

Some the appropriations, particularly those for constituency projects, are perceived as catering to personal interests of the lawmakers.

The resolution was made at an executive session on Wednesday, where Speaker Yakubu Dogara reportedly briefed the members on the outcome of the meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday night.

A lawmaker who spoke off record said the Speaker noted that the removals are necessary as part of the truce reached with the Executive.

“ We have to move forward so the budget can be signed. It does not look good for us as a parliament that we are being blamed for the impasse on the budget. The power tussle has to stop in the interest of Nigerians ,” the lawmaker said.

“Cuts would be made in allocations of lawmakers constituency allocations across board, but there would be more cut in the allocations of the leadership,” the lawmaker added.

Meanwhile THISDAY gathered that the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yussuff Sulaimon Lasun would head the House Committee that would interface with the Senate and Executive Committees on the budget Impasse.

According to sources, in the Senate and House Committees, the Chairmen of the Appropriation Committees, Senator Danjuma Goje and Hon. Jibrin Abdulmumim would be members.

“But they would not play major roles this time,” a source said.