Despite few hours to expiration of 2016 budget, the Senate on Thursday stepped down presentation of 2017 budget for consideration.
This was even as the upper legislative chamber also declared that the budget will be passed unfailingly next week.
Report on final work on the budget was earlier slated for presentation in the Senate on Thursday by the Chairman of its Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje as listed on the Order Paper but the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC Yobe North) requested for stepping down of the item when called upon to put in process, submission of the report.
According to him, the Senate’s joint committee on Appropriation and Finance finalizing reports on the budget proposals along with their counterparts in the House of Representatives , were still dotting their ‘i’ and crossing their ‘ts’ on the budget report to avoid discrepancies in the reports of the two chambers before final passage.
He however said the leadership of the committees at both chambers have assured him that the report would be read for presentation on Tuesday next week.
“I have also equally been informed by leadership of the committees that by the grace of God definitely the budget 2017 will be laid on Tuesday.
“Having said this, Mr. President distinguished colleagues, I will move that we stand down this report to Tuesday the next legislative day and I so moved”, he said.
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