Senate To Begin Debate On 2016 Budget Next Tuesday

BEVERLY HILLS, January 13, (THEWILL) – The Senate will on Tuesday, January 19, begin deliberations on the 2016 Appropriation Bill submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 19, even as its committees are expected to submit a report by Thursday detailing how the 2016 proposed budget reportedly got missing.

The Senate used its Twitter handle to quote its President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, as revealing during Wednesday's plenary that “the debate of #2016AppropriationBill will commence on Tuesday, 19th January 2016.”

But following a point of order raised by the lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, for the upper chamber to address the issue of the missing budget, the Senate President disclosed that the outcome of investigations by the committees would be laid bare by Thursday

Abaribe had quoted order 42 of the Senate Standing Rule to state that the matter was discussed yesterday, during a closed door session without feedback.

Responding to Abaribe's order, Saraki said, “It was agreed in the closed session yesterday, that the Senate will wait for a feedback from the committees assigned to look into the matter.

“The feedback from the committees should be ready by tomorrow,” he added.

Senate Leader, Ali Ndume was widely reported yesterday to have told his colleagues during an executive session that both the soft and hard copies of 2016 budget presented to a joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari last December were missing from the National Assembly.

He has however denied the claim, stressing that “Budget cannot be missing. One copy can be laid. It is a symbolic copy. The budget will be in custody of both chambers. It cannot be stolen. It cannot be missing.”