By Itodo Daniel Sule
The House of Representatives on Wednesday flayed delay by the executive arm in presenting the 2025 budget estimate before the National Assembly, asking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expedite action on presentation of the budget proposals to the parliament.
The House urged the Executive to comply with section 11(1) (b) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and submit to the National Assembly, the 2025 Budget Proposal without further delays.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance by Rep Clement Jumbo.
Moving the motion, Jumbo expressed worries that the executive arm has failed to present the 2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the Appropriation Bill for 2025 as stipulated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA).
He said the FRA stipulated that the MTEF and Appropriation Bills are expected to be submitted to the National Assembly at least four months before the end of the financial year.
Daily Trust reports that the current budget cycle is expected to end by December 31, 2024, which is barely two and half months away.
Jumbo said late presentation of the appropriation bill to the National Assembly will not allow lawmakers the ample time to scrutinise the budget document before passage.
Supporting the motion, Reps Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, urged members irrespective of party affiliations to support the motion.
He lamented due to late submission of the 2024 appropriation bill, the lawmakers were put under pressure and had to rushed through the budget to get it passed last year.
Chinda said similar scenario is already playing out this year, urging the executive to urgently do the needful by presenting the appropriation bill on time before passage.
On his part, Solomon Bob, while supporting the motion, said the House might have to take a stand in rejecting budget presented to it late.
The motion was unanimously adopted and referred to the committees National Planning and Economic Development, Appropriations and Finance to ensure compliance within two weeks.
