Politics
Senate’s report on N54.2trn 2025 national budget ready this week – Akpabio
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Senate would receive the report of N54.2 trillion 2025 budget from its Committee on Appropriations for possible passage into law this week.
The president of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, who dropped the hint during plenary on Tuesday, said the Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Senator Solomon Adeola, APC Ogun West, is expected to present the report on Wednesday or Thursday.
President Bola Tinubu had on December 18, 2024 presented a total budget of N49.7 trillion to a joint sitting of the National Assembly but later increased it to N54.2 trillion, citing additional revenue of N4.5 trillion from the generating agencies like the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS; Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS and other Government Owned Enterprises, GOEs.
Akpabio, in his remarks after debate on a bill seeking for the establishment of a Federal University of Agriculture in Abak, Akwa Ibom State, on Tuesday, said there was need for them to quickly end the debate for final work on the 2025 budget.
“You will observe that some of our colleagues are not in the chamber because of the required final touches on the 2025 Appropriation Bill, the report of which will be laid before us tomorrow (Wednesday) or next tomorrow (Thursday) this week.
“So, we need to close early to allow for collective efforts in that direction for final consideration and passage of the 2025 Appropriation Bill,” he said.
Recall that both the Senate and the House of Representatives had earlier fixed January 31, 2025 for passage of the N49.7 trillion earlier proposed budget for 2025 by President Tinubu.
However, before the date, both chambers shifted their resumption from Christmas and New Year recess from January 31, 2025 to February 4, 2025, the very day they both received communication from the President on increase of total expenditure profile of the proposed budget from N49.7trillion to N54.2trillion.
Both Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas in their separate remarks after reading the letter, said the budget proposals would have to be reprocessed for inclusion of additional N4.5 trillion.
Specifically, Akpabio, after reading the letter, urged the committee on Appropriations to expedite action on the request for possible passage of the budget before the end of February.
Apparently in line with the expeditious consideration of the request, Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday, announced that report on the now increased budget size of N54.2 trillion will be laid in the Senate on Wednesday or Thursday this week.
Chairman, Policy Manifesto Committee of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, John Odigie-Oyegun, says former president Muhammadu Buhari gave him the shock of his life, six months into his administration as Nigeria’s leader.
Oyegun made this disclosure on Friday when he featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’.
He revealed that as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, he went to tell Buhari that he was not delivering his election promises to Nigerians but that the late president told him he would not rule with strictness, but rather wanted to show Nigerians that he is a true civilian president.
The former APC National Chairman lamented that it became business as usual, from there.
“I was national chairman of the APC. Six months or less into our assuming office, fairly alarmed, I went to the late President Buhari for a one-on-one talk. I said Mr President, this is not what the people were expecting. They wanted a bit of the old president Buhari.
“And he explained to me, Mr Chairman, I have learned my lesson. I was shocked. And don’t forget at that time, a lot of prominent Nigerians took their holidays abroad, just to be sure and see what this new sheriff in town will be.
“Buhari told me he wants to now show the people that he’s a true civilian president in Agbada. And by the time we finished the conversation, I said Oh God, we are finished. Because, if he’s not ready to be strict, what’s the point?
“Weeks later, months later, years later, I was proven correct. And of course, it became business as usual, only that they are a new set of tenants in Aso Rock. That was a shocker,” he said.
Former lawmaker, Dino Melaye Esq, has raised concerns over the Senate’s reported rejection of the electronic transmission of election results.
The move, according to Melaye, is a clear endorsement of election rigging and an indication of a sinister plan to rig the 2027 elections.
In a statement on Friday, the former lawmaker criticized the Senate’s decision, stating that it undermines the credibility of the electoral process.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC chieftain, also stated that the move opens the door for electoral manipulation and fraud.
He further warned that the rejection of electronic transmission of results is a step backwards for democracy in Nigeria.
Melaye called on lawmakers and citizens to stand up against “this blatant attempt to undermine the will of the people and ensure that future elections are free, fair, and transparent”.
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has said Nigerians have every reason to be mad at the Senate over the ongoing debate on e-transmission of election results.
Ezekwesili made this known on Friday when she featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’ monitored by DAILY POST.
DAILY POST reports that the Senate on Wednesday turned down a proposed change to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill that aimed to compel the electronic transmission of election results.
Reacting to the matter, Ezekwesili said, “The fundamental issue with the review of the Electoral Act is that the Senate retained the INEC 2022 Act, Section 60 Sub 5.
“This section became infamous for the loophole it provided INEC, causing Nigerians to lose trust. Since the law established that it wasn’t mandatory for INEC to transmit electoral results in real-time, there wasn’t much anyone could say.
“Citizens embraced the opportunity to reform the INEC Act, aiming to address ambiguity and discretionary opportunities for INEC. Yet, the Senate handled it with a “let sleeping dogs lie” approach. The citizens have every reason to be as outraged as they currently are.”
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