The National Assembly on Tuesday gave the various committees examining the 2021 budget proposals up till Friday to submit their reports.
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, gave 22 standing committees of the Senate up till Friday to defend the budget proposals of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) they oversee to the Appropriations Committee.
House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, also gave some standing committees 48 hours to submit their budget reports to the leadership of the House.
Lawan, who spoke at plenary in Abuja, regretted that the Upper Chamber was behind schedule in its timetable for the consideration of the 2021 Appropriations Bill.
Gbajabiamila spoke on Tuesday at the resumed plenary of the House in Abuja.
The Speaker said the committees should use the two days’ grace to complete their budget defence reports.
The committees are those of Finance, Aviation, Army, Science and Technology, Commerce, Solid Minerals, Health Services, Health Institutions, Works and Basic Education.
They are to submit their budget defence reports to the Committee on Appropriation, latest by tomorrow.
The House had adjourned plenary from October 22 to November 24, 2020, to enable the lawmakers have adequate time to hold budget defense sessions with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The period earlier given for budget defense and submission of reports to the Appropriations Committee was between November 11 and 18.
Also, the House honoured the deceased newspaper vendor, Ifeanyi Okereke, who was killed last Thursday by a security aide attached to the Speaker’s convoy.
Before the commencement of the plenary, leaders of the Abuja Newspapers Distributors Association (ANDA) and the Newspapers Vendors Association, Abuja (NVAA) had gathered in the chamber, following the invitation by the Speaker.
