Again, House Postpones Budget Debate till Tuesday

By Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja

The continuation of the second reading of the 2019 budget has once again been postponed till Tuesday, next week.

Though the lawmakers were expected to commence their recess Thursday to enable them embark on their re-election campaign ahead of next month’s general election, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, said the House will sit Tuesday, next week to conclude work on the budget.

The duo of Hon. Adamu Chika, representing Shiroro/Rafi/Munya of Niger State and Hon. Ahman-Pategi representing Edu/Moro/Pategi federal constituency of Kwara State, had Wednesday noted what was referred to as irreconcilable errors in the 2019 budget, making the House to direct the ministries to present an error-free document Thursday to enable lawmakers continue work on the document.

The discovery compelled Speaker Dogara to give a directive that relevant committees of the House of Representatives should liaise with the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, and the Ministry of Finance to urgently correct the differences in some erroneous figures presented in the 2019 Appropriation Bill so that the second reading would continue Thursday.

But apparently, the correction were not concluded, and Dogara told members that: “We have to sit on Tuesday so that we can give the committees the time to ensure that these errors are corrected,” adding that “members who want to speak on the budget should put down their names.”