Again, House Postpones Budget Debate till Tuesday

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.”