Senate President Ahmed Lawan has disclosed that President Muhamnadu Buhari will present the 2021 budget estimate to the National Assembly next week.
Speaking at the resumption of senate plenary after a two-month vacation, Lawan told his colleagues that he’s aware that President Muhammadu Buhari will lay the 2021 Appropriation Bill before the two chambers of the National Assembly next week.
He said the budget proposal will be subjected to scrutiny by relevant committees of the upper legislative chamber from October to November during which heads of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) will be expected to defend their estimates.
His words: “I am aware that the Executive will be presenting the 2021 Budget Estimates by next week.
“The Senate will provide a one month window for Budget defense by Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“Like last year, the month of October, 2020 will be dedicated for this exercise. Subsequent months of November and December will be dedicated to the internal processing of the Budget by NASS.
“The various MDAs are therefore advised to ensure that they avail themselves the opportunity of the Budget defense window to appear with all the relevant and necessary information to defend their Budget Estimates.”
Lawan said the 1999 Constitution as amended needed to be reviewed from time to time to improve the quality of governance and ensure stability in the nation’s polity.
He said that the ongoing review of the Constitution and reforms of the Electoral Act would be given speedy consideration by the Senate.
According to him: “The Senate will ensure speedy work on the review exercise. Also the Electoral Reform Amendment Bills will be treated with dispatch.
“We must ensure that we make amendments that will enhance free, fair, transparent and credible elections in our country.
“The security situation in our country is not what we want it to be. We want a security situation that guarantees protection of lives and property of citizens.”
He insisted that while the country is bedevilled by multifaceted security challenges, the National Assembly would continuously seek enduring measures to arrest the situation.”
