The Nigerian Senate began the process of passing the 2016 Appropriation Bill today, the Bill which is scheduled for passage in March, as its Committee on Appropriation has commenced the collation of the 2016 Budget reports from the various sub-committees of the Chamber.
The collation was a fulfillment of the earlier promise made by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Danjuma Goje.
Goje, who briefed the Senate-in-Plenary on the progress made so far on the budget, said that his Committee had mandated the different sub-committees to make their submissions between Tuesday and next week Tuesday.
He appealed to the chairmen and vice chairmen of the Senate standing committees to cooperate with his Committee by ensuring that the Tuesday deadline is met for the submission of their reports.
"Today is the beginning of the submission of our reports by the various sub-committees. The Appropriations Committee is ready; we are set to start receiving the reports.
"I, therefore, urge my colleagues, the Chairmen and Vice-chairmen of the various committees to cooperate with us to ensure that we conclude this exercise within the one week that was stipulated by this Senate.
"This means that the submissions will start today and end next week Tuesday. If we don't go by the programme, there will be problem of submission of our report. But because of the importance of this budget, it is incumbent that we go by the Programme.
"I want to inform the Senate that the Appropriations Committee is ready to accept the reports. Immediately after my explanation, all the members will go to room 224 where we are ready to start receiving the reports.
"The timetable has been distributed to you and the committees concerned that are supposed to submit their reports as stated in that timetable. So, Mr President, I will like to ask my colleagues, chairmen, vice-chairmen and members of the various committees to cooperate with us to ensure that we conclude this exercise within the one week stipulated by this Senate.
"If we do go by the programme, there would be a problem of submission of our reports. It is therefore, incumbent that we go by the programme during the exercise of receiving our reports within one week to allow us compile the reports and submitting it to this Senate for passing into law," Goje said.
Reacting to Goje's submission, the Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, implored the committees to adhere to the one week target for collating the reports.
"I think, as the Chairman of the Appropriations has said, they are ready to receive the reports and am sure the timetable is out and within this week, please let's ensure that all committees submit their reports to Appropriations Committee, so that we can keep to the timetable, and we will try as much as possible and ensure that time is available so that people can do this report when we are still sitting in the plenary," Saraki said.
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