The Nigerian Senate has amended the 2023 Appropriation and Supplementary Act to extend implementation periods to 31st December, 2024.
The implementation of the 2023 supplementary by implication would run in paripasu with that of the 2024 which stands at N28.78 trillion.
After clause by clause consideration of the bill and after the Committee of Supply, the bill was then read the third time and passed.
The 2023 Supplementary budget bill was sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central for its implementation to be extended.
This passage by the Senate was sequel to President Bola Tinubu’s request in a letter read by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio at plenary on Thursday.
The letter was titled: “Request for further amendment of the Appropriation Act 2023 and Supplementary Act 2023”.
It read: “As you will recall by an Act of the National Assembly, the 2023 Appropriation Act and the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Act were amended in March 2024.
“This was to allow for their implementation until June 30 2024.
“This extension was necessary to allow for the full implementation of capital projects contained in the budgets particularly those infrastructural projects intended to improve commerce, address challenges with security and education and health care and generally improve the well being of Nigerians.
“As many of these critical projects should remain ongoing, I write to request that the Senate considers and passes the legislation to extend the implementation of the Appropriation Act 2023 and the Supplementary Appropriation Act 2023 to Dec. 31.
“This is to ensure that the provisions of the Acts can be exhaustively implemented while hoping that this request shall receive the kind expeditious consideration of the Senate.”
The two bills which were given accelerated consideration in the Committee of Supply were unanimously approved by the Senate.
Earlier in his lead debate on the general principles of the bills, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele said, ” permit me to lead the Debate on the general principles of these very important Bills. The Bills seek to amend the 2023 Appropriation Act and the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Act, to among other things, extend the implementation period to “31″ December, 2024.
“The Bills were read for the First Time today, Thursday, 27% June, 2024.
“Distinguished Colleagues you will recall that on Wednesday 20th March 2024, these Acts were amended to allow for exhaustive implementation of capital projects under the Acts to 30% June, 2024. The extension will expire on Sunday 30th June 2024 and many projects are yet to be completed.
“This Bill therefore, intends to further extend the implementation period of the Acts to 31st December, 2024 in view of the strategic importance of some key projects nearing completion, and to allow for continued implementation for the maximum benefit of the country. Undoubtedly, this would go a long way to avoid the compounding problems of abandoned projects. Hence, the need for the enactment of this proposed legislations to extend the implementation.”
In his remarks, Akpabio thanked his colleagues for their patriotic contributions to the passage of the bills.
“I thank you for your contributions, I thank you for your patriotic duties and most especially, I thank you for your timely intervention which enabled us and enabled the executive arm of government to continue with projects without abandonment.”
HOUSE OF REPS
The House of Representatives also considered and passed two money bills extending the implementation of the 2023 Appropriation Act and the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Act until December 2024.
The executive arm of government presented the two bills via a letter transmitted from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and read on the floor of the House by the Speaker, Mr. Abbas Tajudeen.
The bills are titled the 2023 Appropriation Amendment Bill, 2024, and the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Amendment Bill, 2024.
Following its first reading, the House Minority Leader, Mr. Kingsley Chinda during the debate on the general principles of the bill, expressed reservations about the propriety of accelerating the passage of the bills.
Mr Chinda noted that it might not be in the best interest of the country.
He suggested that the provisions of the bills should be harmonised and included in the anticipated Supplementary Appropriation Act 2024.
The Minority Leader’s concerns and position sparked a robust discussion among members, and was supported by Mr. Alhassan Ado Doguwa who, however, urged the House to pass the bills in the best interest of the country’s security and economy.
In response, the House resolved to enter an executive session to deliberate further on the matter. The session saw extensive discussions, with members from both sides of the aisle contributing their perspectives and suggestions.