Senate Dumps Buhari’s N22.7tn Ways and Means, Adjourns for Campaigns

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Senate yesterday failed to consider for possible approval, the N22.7 trillion Ways and Means Restructuring request forwarded to it by President Muhammadu Buhari in December, 2022.

Buhari had three weeks ago, warned that Nigeria was at risk of incurring additional N1. 8 trillion if the Senate failed to pass the request for restructuring the ways and means.

He stated this when he assented to the 2023 budget.

The red chamber which had promised to consider the request before proceeding for the election break, failed to list it for consideration during plenary

The leader of the Senate, Ibrahim Gobir, who is the Chairman of the special committee set up for the purpose of getting details of the document from the relevant heads of federal agencies, did not say anything about it throughout the plenary session.

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, had last week Tuesday, declared that the Senate was ready to approve the request, provided required details of the spending were made available by the Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed and Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele.

Lawan had said the Senate and by extension, the House of Representatives would have adjourned plenary if not for Restructuring of the Ways and Means request.

The Senator Gobir led committee did not present any report for consideration by the Senate this Tuesday and Wednesday, making the Senate to adjourn without approving it as earlier planned. THISDAY gathered that the expected details from the executive arm of government on how the N22.7 trillion was expended within 10 years, were not provided.