President Muhammadu Buhari is set to present the 2020 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly today.
The president had last week sent a letter to the National Assembly to that effect.
“May I crave the kind indulgence of the Distinguished Senate to grant me the slot of 1400 hours on Tuesday, 8th October, 2019, to formally present the 2020 Appropriation Bill to the Joint session of the National Assembly.
“Please accept, Mr. Senate President, the assurances of my highest regards, as I look forward to addressing the Joint Session,” the president wrote.
In order to perfect the document to be presented to the National Assembly, an extra-ordinary Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting was held on Monday.
The meeting was presided over by Buhari.
It is the hope that an early presentation of the appropriation bill by the Executive arm of the government to the National Assembly will ensure quick passage of the document.
The 9th National Assembly has promised to have the budget cycle returned to January to December.
Said Senate President, Ahmad Lawan on the desire for quick passage of the appropriation bill: “The budget 2020 is going to be part of what we want to do differently from the previous sessions of the Senate.”
He stated further: “It is our prayer and hope. It is desirable that that is done.
“Once that is done, it is our intention in the Senate and in the entire National Assembly that we devote a month of, possibly, October for budget defence only.
“In a situation that we are able to achieve that, no more budget defence after October.
“Any ministry or agent of government that fails to appear to defend its budget, the National Assembly will take an appropriate action so that we are able to have November and a week or two in December to process and pass the budget and send it to Mr President to sign in December before Christmas.
“We believe that if we are able to do that, our budget will go back to that regular cycle, that desirable cycle of January to December and that will enhance the budget performance of this country.”
