Senate set to pass 2020 budget Nov 28

Ahmad Lawan

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan said on Tuesday that the National Assembly is working towards the passage of the 2020 Appropriation bill on November 28, 2019.

To achieve this target date, Lawan directed the Senate Committee on Appropriations to submit its report on the 2020 budget proposals on November 26, 2019.

Lawan gave the directive on the floor of the Senate during plenary.

The Senate President stated that the committee’s compliance to lay its report on November 26 would facilitate the passage of the 2020 budget on November 28, before the National Assembly proceeds on Christmas break.

He said: “On the Budget 2020 we are working on, the ball is now in the court of Senate Committee on Appropriations, the last committee standing.

“All the committees have done their work so well within the defined parameters and we, therefore, expect the Appropriations Committee to produce the report and lay it here by the 26th of November, next two weeks.

“I believe that the same thing will be done in our sister chamber, the House of Representatives, so that we are able to pass the Appropriation Bill 2020 on the November 28, by the Grace of God.”

Meanwhile, a total of twelve bills scaled first reading on the floor on Tuesday.

The bills are: National Religious Equity Commission (Est.) bill, 2019, sponsored by Senator Stella Oduah; Constituency Development Fund (Est.) bill, 2019, by Senator Ali Ndume; National Agency for Technology Incubation (Est.) bill, 2019, by Senator Ajayi Boroffice; National War College Act (Amendment) bill, 2019, by Senator Aliyu Wamakko; Compulsory Free Universal Education Act (Amendment) bill, 2019, by Senator Rose Oko, and Private Security and Forensic Investigation Bureau of Nigeria (Est.) bill, 2019, by Senator Barinanda Mpigi.

Others are: Police Act (Amendment) bill, 2019, by Senator Betty Apiafi; Federal University of Agriculture and Technology Funtua (Est.) bill, 2019, by Senator Bello Mandiya; Federal College of Education (Technical) Kaima, Kwara State (Est.) bill, 2019, by Senator Sadiq Umar; and Federal University of Gashua (Est.) bill, 2019, by Senator Yahaya Abdullahi.