Saraki warns senators against financial inducement

• N’Assembly may pass Appropriation Bill by February 25, goes on two-week working recess

The Senate yesterday passed the 2016 Appropriation Bill for second reading after concluding debate on the general principles of the bill, which started Wednesday last week.

Thereafter, the Senate also committed the document to its Committee on Appropriations, to coordinate the budget defence by the various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government.

The Upper Chamber will embark on two weeks working recess from today, to allow the relevant standing committees of the Senate to thoroughly scrutinize the budget of the Ministries, departments and Agencies “MDAs” as contained in the Appropriation Bill.

In his remarks shortly after the conclusion of the debate on the bill, the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki warned the senators against financial inducement in the course of defending the budget.

He vowed to deal with any lawmaker found to be involved in any form bribery in the course of budget defence, which would commence on Jan. 28, as ‘‘the current assembly would not tolerate conducts capable of undermining the integrity of the Chamber’’.

He said the warning became necessary to preserve the integrity of the National Assembly and to continue to win the confidence of Nigerians.

Speaking on the general principles of the budget, Saraki noted that the proposal was a major departure from past budgets, particularly with regard to withdrawing focus on oil as major revenue source for funding the budget.
“This to me and to all of us is the most important area of this budget in the sense that it will be a great foundation not only for today but for the future if this can be achieved.

Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Danjuma Goje, said that the Senate would adjourn to allow for the budget defence to take off.

He said that the report would be laid before the Senate on February 24 while the Senate would consider and approve the budget on Thursday, February 25.

Goje said that after the plenary, the Senate would break into sub committees from February 2, to receive Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for the defence, saying that all MDAs and sub-committees were expected to conclude their budget defence by February 16.