By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The House of Representatives has adjourned the plenary to Wednesday, December 28, 2022, to debate the passage of the 2023 appropriation bill presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.
At the plenary today, Thursday, December 22, 2022, the lower chamber of the parliament could work on the 2023 budget passage as expected because of some other matters, including the briefing of the House on the recent cash withdrawal limit policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The green arm of the legislative arm of government had asked the governor of the CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele, to appear before it to explain the policy better to lawmakers.
In a letter read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, the CBN governor had said he would be unable to appear today because he was out of the country for “some health challenges.” He asked one of his deputies, Mrs Aishah Ahmad, to lead a delegation to the House to brief the lawmakers. She was at the parliament today for the exercise.
This and other issues today did not allow the lower arm of the National Assembly to pass the N20.5 trillion budget as earlier planned, forcing it to shift this to after Christmas.
Mr Gbajabiamila, while announcing a slight change in the plan, urged his colleagues to adjourn for Christmas but to return on December 28 for the singular assignment of passing the budget.
“We just have to come back on Wednesday.
“We will come back for the one item of passing the budget; that’s all. Then, we can proceed on break fully,” he stated.
President Buhari had laid the estimates of the budget before a joint session on of the National Assembly in Abuja on October 7.
Lawmakers, desirous of sustaining the January-December budget cycle, made a pledge to pass the 2023 Appropriation Bill this December.
