By Joshua Egbodo Abuja
House of Representatives has stated that the 2017 Appropriation Bill currently before the parliament, would be passed only after its return from its two weeks Easter break. Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Aff airs, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, who disclosed yesterday, however declined giving any specifi c date as timeline for the passage.
“I am inundated about the question of whether the budget will be passed before Easter holiday, the budget will not be passed until after Easter,” he stated Th e delay is not unconnected with inability of some standing committees to turn in their reports to the Appropriations Committee, even after repeated warning by Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara. Dogara, had on Tuesday mandated all standing committees yet to submit report of 2017 budget to the Committee on Appropriation to submit on or before Th ursday, 30th March.
Th e Speaker then said the aff ected chairmen and deputies of committees should endeavour to submit their reports latest March 30 to enable the Appropriation Committee hasten the process of passing the 2017 Appropriation Bill. According to Namdas, they were members of a House of the Nigerian people, and will continue to act in the interest of the people, expressing optimism that the passage could be before the end of April, but was not defi nite about it.
