Reps defer passage of 2023 budget to Wednesday, December 28

The Speaker of the House of Representatives,  Femi Gbajabiamila on Thursday confirmed the inability of the National Assembly to pass the 2023 budget earlier scheduled for Thursday, 22nd December 2022.

Hon. Gbajabiamila who confirmed this during the plenary session assured that the 2023 budget will be passed next Wednesday, 28th December 2022 in line with January – December cycle.

The House had initially planned to pass the 2023 budget before proceeding on their Christmas/New Year break but it was postponed to tidy up some grey areas.

Hon. Gbajabiamila while announcing a slight change in the plan, urged members to adjourn for Christmas but to return on the 28th of December for the singular assignment of passing the budget.

He said: “We just have to come back on Wednesday. We will come back for the one item of passing the budget; that’s all. Then, we can proceed on break fully,” he urged.

Also at plenary, the House tasked authorities of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other Money Deposit Banks on the need to urgently activate mechanisms to ensure prompt remittance of school fees of foreign-based Nigerian Students to avoid deportation.

The resolution was a sequel to the consideration of a motion moved at the plenary by Hon. Akande Sadipe.

In her lead debate, Hon. Sadipe alleged that the banks have failed to quickly process the fees, thereby putting the students on the edge.

She said: “Some Nigeria international students across the world are having hard times processing payments provided by the beneficiaries.

“Top Nigerian banks have failed to process the payment transfers either for settling school fees, accommodation, and other required expenses.

“The banks have refused to refund the affected students to enable them to search for alternative means of payment.

“Several students are on the verge of being deported to Nigeria if urgent action is not taken to remedy the situation, adding that the CBN and commercial banks involved have kept mute”.

In the same vein, the House passed through a Second Reading a Bill for an Act to amend the Court of Appeal Act, 2013 to among other things, increase the number of Justices of the court from 90 to 110, as well as provide for the integration of Virtual Court proceedings and for related matters.

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Reps defer passage of 2023 budget to Wednesday, December 28