The Senate confirmed this development in a
release on Tuesday obtained and signed by Dr Ezrel Tabiowo,
Special Assistant, Press, to the President of the Senate.
The release reads, “The Senate has extended
the implementation year of the 2021 Appropriation Act from 31st March to 31st
May, 2022.
“The extension was approved following the
consideration of a bill to amend the 2021 Appropriation Act. The Senate before
considering the bill suspended Rule 78(1) of the Senate Standing Orders 2022
(as amended), to enable the upper chamber to expeditiously introduce and pass
the bill.
“The bill was read on Tuesday for this
first, second and third time after the suspension of Rule 78(1). The bill was
sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Yayah Abdullahi (Kebbi North). Leading
debate on the bill, Senator Abdullahi, recalled that prior Appropriation Acts
in the past were passed mid-year, with their implementation usually extended to
the following year.
“The lawmaker noted that in previous
Appropriation Acts, these extensions were usually covered by a Clause, in line
with the provisions of Section 318 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria that the Act runs for a period of 12 months, starting from the date
it comes into effect.”
He, however, observed on the contrary that
Clause 12 of the provisions of Section 318 of the Constitution provides that
the 12 month period starts from the 1st day of January to 31st day of December,
2021.
He recalled that the 2022 Appropriation Act
was amended to extend the implementation year from 31st December, 2021 to 31st
March, 2022.
Senator Abdullahi explained that the
extension of the budget period became imperative in view of the need to
complete ongoing projects nearing completion.
He said, “As you are aware, the 2021
Virement of the aggregate sum of N276 billion was approved for several MDAs by
the National Assembly in December 2021 along with 100 percent release of the
2021 Capital Budget of the MDAs.
“A significant portion of the releases to
the MDAs has been utilised following the extension to 31st March, 2022. In view
of the critical importance of some key projects nearing completion, it is
expedient to grant further extension of the expiration clause to avoid
compounding the problem of abandoned projects given that some of the projects
were not provided for in the 2022 budget hence the need to extend the
implementation year form 31 March, 2022 to 31st May, 2022.”
The bill to amend the 2021 Appropriation
Act was, thereafter, passed sequel to its consideration by the Committee on
Supply.
Meanwhile, a total of three bills on
Tuesday scaled second reading on the floor.
The bills seek to establish the National
Industrial Technology Park; the Federal College of Agriculture Ise-Orin, Ekiti
State; and Federal University of Agriculture Ogoja, Cross River State.
The bills were sponsored by Senators
Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun Central), Biodun Olujimi (Ekiti South) and Agom Jarigbe
(Cross River North).
The bills after consideration were referred
by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to the Committees on Trade and
Investment; and the Joint Committees on Tertiary Institutions and Agriculture
and Rural Development.
The Committees were all given four weeks to
report back to the upper chamber.