The National Assembly on Thursday, failed to lay the 2016 budget for commencement of consideration and passage as promised but has set a new date for laying the budget document.
The spokesperson of the Senate Sen. Abdulahi Sabi on Wednesday at a joint news conference said that the National Assembly would be unable to pass the budget on March 17 as earlier promised.
However, Thursday plenary of the Senate was concluded without any mention of the 2016 Budget.
While briefing newsmen after plenary, Sen. Sabi said that the bill which was not laid today as promised but would be laid next week.
He said that the Senate had not failed Nigerians by not keeping to their word as the postponement was still within an acceptable error margin.
``We are here to let you know that as of today, we are unable to lay the 2016 appropriation bill and thus we are hoping next week that process will be completed.
``When I briefed you, I recalled you were asking if the passage will be completed by next week. And we said 'Yes' when you lay the budget the next thing is for you to discuss the budget and get it passed.
``The two activities will be carried out next week God's willing as far as we are concerned, we have not failed. What is happening is the seriousness with which we take the 2016 appropriation.
``It's such that we cannot also afford to make errors that will become very costly to this nation.
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``That is what we call data cleansing and integration; that is the two appropriation committees must integrate: that is the essence of what you call harmonization,” he said.
He added that the National Assembly was trying not to do the work in a haste and also make mistakes which was why the `data cleansing’ had to be done without haste.
In his remark, the spokesperson of the House of Representatives Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas added that the budget was the most important bill and as such mistakes could not be afforded.
He also promised that the budget would be passed next week.
It will be recalled that the Senate, earlier proposed to pass the bill on February 25, 2016 but was not able to fulfill this task due to contentious issues of alleged padding.
The National Assembly later gave March 17 as deadline for passing the budget but later changed this date to be the date on which the budget would be laid.
Meanwhile, by the calendar of the National Assembly, it is due to go on break next week to observe the Easter celebration.
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