Senate extends 2021 budget implementation to May 31

The Senate has extended the capital component implementation of the 2021 Appropriation Act from March 31 to May 31, 2022.

The extension was approved following the consideration of a Bill to Amend the 2021 Appropriation Act.

The Upper Chamber explained that the extension of the budget period became imperative in view of the need to complete ongoing projects nearing completion.

Leading debate on the bill, the Senate Leader, Senator Yayah Abdullahi (Kebbi North), recalled that prior Appropriation Acts in the past were passed mid-year, with their implementation usually extended to the following year.

The lawmaker noted that in previous Appropriation Acts, these extensions were usually covered by a Clause, in line with the provisions of Section 318 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that the Act runs for a period of 12 months, starting from the date it comes into effect.

He, however, observed on the contrary that Clause 12 of the provisions of Section 318 of the Constitution provides that the 12 month period starts from  January 1 to December 31, 2021.

He recalled that the 2022 Appropriation Act was amended to extend the implementation year from December 31, 2021 to March 31, 2022.

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He said: “As you are aware, the 2021 Virement of the aggregate sum of N276 billion was approved for several MDAs by the National Assembly in December 2021 along with 100 per cent release of the 2021 Capital Budget of the MDAs.

“A significant portion of the releases to the MDAs has been utilized following the extension to March 31, 2022.

“In view of the critical importance of some key projects nearing completion, it is expedient to grant further extension of the expiration clause to avoid compounding the problem of abandoned projects given that some of the projects were not provided for in the 2022 budget hence the need to extend the implementation year form 31 March 2022 to 31st May 2022.”

A cross-section of senators who contributed to the debate on the bill expressed their support while commending President Muhammadu Buhari for having a penchant to complete inherited projects and the new ones he initiated.

They argued that the quest for infrastructural development will be given a boost if the legislature gives the necessary backing to the executive arm of government.

Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC Kogi West) in his contribution explained further why the budget must be extended.

“More importantly why this amendment is desired is to ensure that those projects that were captured in the 2021 budget are completed. Why this is so is the fact that in the last 2 to 3 months we had crises of diesel which is the main fuel for most earth moving equipment so many projects are at the very slow stage of completion because diesel not available, where it is available it is adulterated,” he said.

The bill to amend the 2021 Appropriation Act was, thereafter, passed sequel to its consideration by the Committee on Supply.