Nigeria: 2017 Budget Faces More Delay

By Ismail Mudashir and Musa Abdullahi Krishi
Photo: The Guardian
(file photo).

The 2017 budget is to face further delay as the federal lawmakers begin two weeks Easter break on Wednesday, Daily Trust gathered.

The lawmakers had earlier fixed March 31 for passage of the budget, but postponed it till April ending. President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2017 budget on December 14, 2016.

Ranking lawmakers from both the Senate and House of Representatives said there was no cause for alarm as implementation of the capital component of the 2016 elapses May 5th.

A ranking senator, who confirmed the postponement, said the delay was as a result of the inability of some committees to complete work on the budget.

"The budget will be passed by ending of this month. We had planned to pass it before our recess but we couldn't. We will start our recess on Wednesday and resume on 25th of this month.

"The appropriation committees of both chambers would complete work on the budget during the recess. It would be laid on 25th and we will pass it on 26th or 27th and the president would assent to it the following week," he said.

Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Abdulrazak Namdas (APC, Adamawa) told journalists at the weekend that the budget would have to wait until lawmakers reconvene by end of April.

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