President Muhammadu Buhari is set to sign the 2023 Appropriation Bill into law on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. This was revealed by the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan, after he had a meeting with the President at the presidential villa in Abuja on Friday.
Dr Lawan further mentioned that the meeting covered several issues including the President's request for an additional loan, the 2023 Appropriation Bill and support for INEC ahead of the general elections.
While expressing his regret that this year's budget is being signed slightly later than that of 2021 (which was signed on December 31 2021), he noted that it is essential for both executive and legislature arms of government to cooperate in order to ensure its successful implementation.
He said, “We are looking forward to Mr. President signing the Appropriation Bill 2023, by the grace of God, on Tuesday.
“This is because we signed the documents yesterday, having lost some time because of some anomalous figures we had in the bill presented to the National Assembly.
“But thank God, the National Assembly in both chambers have passed the Appropriation Bill 2023 on Wednesday, and I’m sure that Mr. President and his team, on the executive side will work on what we have done. And the first thing on Tuesday, the first official working day of the year, I believe that Mr. President will be signing the Appropriation Bill 2023.”
It was the first time in the previous four years that the Buhari-led administration had signed the national budget in the new year, he said, adding that the delays were caused by the anomalies found in the bill.
He claims that “We are very pleased that we have been able to, in the last four years, ensure the passage of the appropriation bills in record time before every Christmas, and Mr. President had always signed before the end of the year.
“This year, particularly, is because of the anomalous, very undesirable and unfortunate situation that we had to delay a little bit.
The Senate President stated on the upcoming general elections that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, “lacks nothing”, assuring that the National Assembly will support it to deliver credible elections.
He said, “We also discussed the 2023 general elections. The current National Assembly has always supported the executive in terms of ensuring that INEC gets whatever is necessary for it to work to ensure that elections are supported, that INEC doesn’t lack in anything.
“So we have committed ourselves to ensuring that we give INEC whatever it needs for it to conduct a very free, transparent and credible 2023 general elections. And we are here at all times between now and June 11 when our term will also expire as a legislature in the National Assembly.
“But before then, whatever INEC needs for 2023 to be a success, we will surely and certainly provide such support,” he said.
ALSO READ Analyzing Why Some Nigerians Will Vote Tinubu, Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso in 2023 Election
.jpeg)
0 Comments