A major achievement of the Ninth Assembly in reverting the national budget cycle from an unpredictable cycle to a more predictable cycle of January to December have suffered a setback.
The setback followed Senate extension of the capital component of the 2020 appropriation bill, billed to terminate on 31st of December to March 31st 2021.
The extension came about the accelerated passage of the amendment Bill which went through first, second and third reading but not without a rigorous debate by legal minds to avert nullity of the changes in the proposed amendment on the Order paper.
The Senate Order Paper for Wednesday 16th December 2020 proposed amendment to the Appropriation Act 2020 (amendment) Bill for first reading and another bill for an Act to amend the Appropriation Act 2020 in order to extend the implementation year from the 31st December 2020 to 31st March 2021 or, until the coming into force of the 2021 Appropriation Act, whichever occurs earlier and for related matters, 2020 (SB.612).
The Senate had after a closed-door meeting delisted these items in the Senate Order Paper for Wednesday, December 26 and proposed special plenary for passage of the 2021 Appropriation Bill on the 21st of December 2020.
However, in a twist of event, the Senate reversed itself and considered these bills awaiting concurrence with the House of Representatives. This new decision to consider the bills was not without challenges for plenary as various senators with legal background provided legal insights to the changes and its implication.
The Senate Order Paper for Wednesday, December 16, 2020, proposed amendment to the bill in the second reading to read: A Bill for an Act to amend the Appropriation Act 2020 in order to extend the implementation of the capital component of the budget from the 31st December 2020 to 31st March 2021.
Sponsor of the bill, Senate Leader Abdullahi Yahaya, Kebbi North, in his lead debate told senators that the propriety of the extension was based on the impact of Covid 19 which forced workers in Ministries, Departments and Agencies to stay back at home thus imposing a slow implementation of capital project regime, in spite of the availability of funds.
He said many agencies had received funds but could not execute their projects which were initiated to improve on the lives of Nigeria and boost the economy.
Senator Kabiru Yahaya (Kano APC) corroborated this view when he noted that in his constituency, some of the contractors are yet to be mobilized.
Senator Adamu Aliero in his contribution said some agencies of government still have about 70 per cent of their capital budget released which would only be returned to the coffers without executing their projects following delayed implementation due to Covid 19.
Senator James Manager suggested that both chambers must consider a unified title so that the legislative exercise being undertaken to keep the economy afloat is not jeopardized on legal ground.
He insisted that whatever changes on the short title must be exactly the same as the House, to this, the President of the Senate, Lawan said: “is a harmonized position”.
Senator Manager said: “We do not have the luxury of time to go through all these.
“Whatever the two leaders agree, so long as the language is captured to avoid conflicting with the Budget we want to pass on Monday.
“The budget we are passing on Monday itself and the implementation from 1st January to December 31st, we do not want a situation where the two budgets will be running side by side.”
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan said the Parliament would give priority to the implementation of 2020 capital budget.
“We are taking out the implementation of the capital budget. However, they said the report will be ready on Monday.
“The Senate said it will hold a special session on Monday the 21st December just to consider and pass the 2021 appropriation bill.
“This is in keeping or ensuring the annual budget has a January – December cycle. We did it last year and we will do it again,” President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan stated.
Explaining the impact of the extension of the capital component of the budget, the spokesman, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, said the Senate chose to err on the side of caution and save the nation the embarrassment caused by COVID-19.
According to him, it would boost the economy as the various organisation expand their capital project which was initiated for the good of the Nigerian people and her economy.
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