The Senate, on Tuesday threatened to move against Federal Government Corporations, agencies and parastatals yet to submit their 2017 budgets report to the National Assembly.
Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, raised a point of order, saying none of the agencies had submitted their budget reports, and the threat was thereafter issued.
Na’Allah said; “I am the one responsible for the collation of reports and we have not received one single report regarding the budget of parastatals, which were supposed to have been given by September. I want to put it on record. We have not received any report. I don’t know whether the chairmen have received.”
The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, Surprised by Na’Allah’s claim, asked the various committee Chairmen to confirm or deny, and they answered in the negative.
Saraki said; “This is a very serious issue because, as we all know, in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, these things are meant to have been submitted since August – and the worse is to come with the appropriation document (2017 Appropriation Bill). We have now passed it and no report (from the agencies).
“I think this matter really needs to come as a motion because it is a very serious matter. We need to debate it because we are already in May. And how can patastatals be operating without any budget, especially in this time of fight against corruption?”.
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