Senate has postponed the implementation of the 2022 budget from 31 December to 31 March, 2023.
The lawmakers extended the budget implementation shortly after the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Wednesday, read a request for an extension from President Muhammadu Buhari.
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In his letter, President Buhari asked the National Assembly to extend the 2022 budget implementation till March 2023 because the federal government is looking to complete some ongoing critical projects that have achieved about 80 per cent completion.
Shortly after the president’s letter was read, the lawmakers speedily amended the 2022 Appropriation bill to accommodate his request.
Before considering the proposed amendment to the Appropriation bill, the Senate suspended Rule 78(1) of the Senate Standing Orders to enable the upper chamber to introduce and pass the bill expeditiously.
The bill was, thereafter, read for the first, second and third time after the suspension of Rule 78(1).
The Senate Leader, Ibrahim Gobir, who led the debate for the second reading, said it has become imperative to extend the year’s budget implementation to complete the said projects nearing completion.
He said provisions for the completion of the projects were not provided for in the 2022 budget hence the need to extend the implementation to 31 March.
Before the bill was passed, Benue senator, Gabriel Suswam, asked that constituency projects for senators be funded in the request also.
He suggested that the minister of works, Babatunde Fashola, be invited to the Senate to work towards making provisions for constituency projects.
The Senate after that, amended and passed the 2022 Appropriation bill to extend the implementation to 31 March.
