N/Assembly to consider constitution review report before 2022 budget — Lawan

Senate President Ahmad Lawan has said that the National Assembly would pass the amendment to the 1999 constitution when lawmakers resume from summer break in September.

The federal parliament is currently amending the constitution. Hundreds of bills and memoranda are being considered by the review panel, which also had public hearings across the six geo-political zones and the FCT.

The panel, according to its chairman is working on the report, which is expected to be presented for consideration and passage.

Lawan, in his 2021 Sallah message, said the federal lawmakers would finish work on the constitutional amendment, transmit the outcome to the state Houses of Assembly for their consideration before considering the 2022 budget.

The Senate president also assured that the 2022 Appropriation Bill would be given timely consideration and passed by December.

This, he said, was to continue the tradition of budget implementation within the January to December cycle.

“Also worth mentioning is the hard work our Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution is doing to get its report ready for consideration as soon as we resume our current summer vacation. We hope to consider the report this year before considering the 2022 Appropriation Bill and transmit the outcome to the state Houses of Assembly for their consideration.

“We are confident that the new Constitution that will emerge from this exercise will substantially address all the areas of genuine concern to patriotic Nigerians.

“We are also committed to nurturing the tradition that we started of timely consideration of the budget by ensuring that the 2022 Appropriation Bill is passed by December so that the budget will continue to be implemented within the January to December cycle.

“This however, requires the cooperation of the Executive in presenting the estimates to the National Assembly on time.

“Already, we have received the proposals on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Plan (MTEF/FSP 2022-2024), which provides the basis for the 2022 Budget estimates. We will definitely accord it expeditious consideration on our return from the recess,” Lawan said.