The National Assembly Thursday extended the implementation of the 2023 Appropriation Act and the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Act to December 31, 2024.
It would be recalled that the National Assembly had in December 2023, extended the implementation period of capital component of the budget for the fiscal year from December 31, 2023 to March 31, 2024 along with the N2.17trillion 2023 Supplementary budget they passed in November, 2023, following the request by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives further extended the implementation period for the budgetary appropriations from March 31, 2024 to June 30, 2024 on 19th and 20th March this year respectively following a similar request from the president.
The request for another extension of the implementation of the capital component of the budget is coming a few days to the June 30 implementation deadline earlier approved by the National Assembly.
- N/Assembly to establish hospital for senators, Reps, others – Akpabio
- We’ll consider request for presidential jet if presented – Akpabio
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the request from the president during the plenary.
The senators had cut short their recess which was to elapse on July 2, 2024, and returned for an emergency session to consider a bill for an act to amend the 2023 supplementary appropriation act to further extend its implementation to December 31, 2024, as requested by President Tinubu.
With the extension, the capital components of the 2023 Appropriation Act and the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Act will run simultaneously with the implementation of the capital allocation in the 2024 Appropriation Act.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), earlier urged the Senate to suspend its relevant rules to consider the bills.
The House of Representatives also approved the request by the president to extend the implementation period for the capital component of the N21.83trn 2023 budget and those of the N2.17trn 2023 supplementary budgets to December 2024.
The request for extension of the budgets sparked a heated session in the House, forcing Speaker Abbas Tajudeen to dissolve the House for an executive session.
When the Leader of the House, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, moved for the second reading of the bills, the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, raised concerns over the request for extension of the two budgets.
Chinda while voicing opposition against the request said it will be morally wrong for the country to be running three to four budgets concurrently.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
