- Senate gives marching orders to MDAs
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has given a one-week ultimatum to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Government yet to appear before relevant Committees to defend their budget proposal for 2022, to do so or risk zero allocation in the coming year.
Lawan gave the ultimatum in an announcement moments before the Senate adjourned plenary on Tuesday.
According to him, the one-week extension would allow relevant Senate Committees to conclude work on the budget estimates of MDAs for scheduled presentation to the Committee on Appropriations.
He said: “A one week deadline is hereby given for all MDAs to defend their budget.
READ ALSO: Senate suspends plenary to begin budget defence
“And if there are any MDAs not able to do so, they should forget about it because from this week, our Committees would start defending or presenting their budget defense results with the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
“So, we give more time to our Committees, so that they are able to engage with the MDAs.
“When we close at 1pm today, we expect that the Senate Committees will go and continue with those issues that have not been sorted out.
“And let me also say this very clearly, that there are many MDAs that are being awaited by our Committees to present some very vital documents, and this is very necessary for us to conclude work on the budget defense exercise.
“This week, we will close at 1pm, and Thursday would be for Senate Committees to work throughout till Friday and possibly Saturday, so that by next week, by the Grace of God, the budget defense would be closed, because that would be the only window.”
The Senate on Wednesday, October 13, adjourned the plenary till November 9, 2021, to enable its Committees to begin budget defence sessions with MDAs
The upper chamber suspended sitting after concluding a debate on the 2022 Appropriation Bill, according to Ezrel Tabiowo, media aide to the Senate President Ahmed Lawan.
He said Lawan, in his remarks moments before the chamber adjourned, tasked committees to thoroughly scrutinize budget estimates in the 2022 Appropriation Bill.
He said, “The Senate has hereby suspended plenary in order to consider the budget.
“There will be budget defence from Monday until November 9, when we resume plenary.
“Like we did before, we must remain very critical of the proposals presented to us by the executive arm of government.
“We must ensure equity in the distribution of projects. We must ensure the economy in the application of funds. We must question any possible overpricing of items.
“And we should be able at the end of the day to have a budget that covers the interest of all the communities that we have in this and all parts of the country.”