Reps Sit On Sunday, Extend 2022 Supplementary Budget Implementation To Dec

Again, the House of Representatives Sunday extended the implementation of the amended 2022 Supplementary Budget to 31st December 2023.

This is the second time the lawmakers will be extending the lifespan of the appropriation act, having earlier extended it to June, 2023.

The approval was given at a special emergency plenary of the House of Representatives on Sunday in Abuja.
Since 1999, this is the second time the House of Representatives will sit in plenary on Sunday. The first time they met on Sunday was in January 2012 under the speakership of Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal in protest to the removal of oil subsidy by then President Goodluck Jonathan.

Recall that the amended 2022 supplementary budget of N819.5 billion makes provisions for the repair of infrastructure damaged by flood in 2022 across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The bill, which seeks to approve the sum of N819 billion for capital expenditure and for related matters was considered at the Committee of Supply presided over by Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase, thereby raising the budget deficit for 2022 to N8.17 trillion and deficit GDP ratio to 4.43 per cent.

Also, at the Sunday plenary, the lawmakers passed through Third reading a bill for an act to repeal the Produce (Enforcement of Export Standards) Act, Cap. P.32 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and enact the Federal Produce Inspector Service (Enforcement of Export Standards) Establishment Bill, 2023 to provide for the inspection and enforcement of grades and quality standards of produce and commodities intended for export from Nigeria at Ports of shipment and for related matters”

Similarly, the House passed through third reading “A bill for an Act to amend the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 and for related matters (HB. 2228)”. With the passage, if signed into law, the CBN will increase the Ways and Means from 5 per cent to 15 per cent.
The Bill was passed after the adoption of the recommendations at the Committee of the Whole, Chaired by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila.

The lawmakers, however, deferred the consideration of the “Bill for an Act to repeal the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission Bill to grant the commission enforcement powers in the monitoring of accruals to and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account and to bring the Act in conformity with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution”.

The bill was referred to the House from the Senate for concurrence.
The passage of the bills was, however, not without hitches as a member of the G-7 and chairman of the House committee on water resources, Hon. Sada Soli challenged the approval of the amendment to the CBN Act.

He said: “Mr Chairman, does it mean with this amendment that the CBN somehow advances to Government at 10% or is it a wake-up call that at the twilight of this government we are changing this from 5% to 15%?
“Can the Chairman, Banking and Currency kindly exchange this explanation not only to the National Assembly but to Nigerians? Does it mean the CBN granted these advances at 15% or what is going on? This is what we don’t know chairman.
“I’m a member of the Committee on Banking and Currency. I didn’t know when this discussion took place.

“I can stand on privilege Order 6 to call for an explanation as a member of this Committee, how we reached this amendment, please?”

Responding, Deputy Speaker Wase who presided over the Committee of the Whole said: “Hon. Sada the only explanation I may attempt to give if I listened to you very carefully is this, the Chair has the right to commit after second reading any bill to the Committee of the Whole.
“It is there contained in our Standing Order. It depends on the importance and the exigency of the moment. And in light of this I want to beg our Colleagues to please consider this amendment and we pass it so that we have the right thing done”.

Meanwhile, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila announced the defection of member representing Ilorin East South federal constituency, Abdulganiyu Olododo from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The House will resume plenary on Tuesday, 30th May, 2023.