Senate threatens to pass 2018 budget without MDAs’ inputs

Senate threatens to pass 2018 budget without MDAs’ inputs

by Joseph Anthony
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The Senate on Wednesday threatened to pass the 2018 budget without submissions from recalcitrant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

This threat followed the observation by the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Sunny Ogbuoji.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had asked Ogbuoji to tell the Senate the position of the 2018 Appropriation Bill whose implementation should have started on January 1.

Ogbuoji informed the Senate that majority of MDAs refused to turn up for their budget defence as required by law.

He noted that due to the failure of the MDAs to appear for budget defence, the budget report that could have been presented for consideration was not ready.

He said: “Majority of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are not coming forward to interface with the standing committees. Some of the ministers will tell you they have a team, they are going outside the country and because of that the MDAs are not fully ready.

“So we don’t have the reports yet. We believe that when the MDAs come forward, our colleagues will be able to finish their work.

“Some of the committees are unable to do their work. When the committees screened what they brought, they will ask them to go back to us but they don’t come back.

‘That is really delaying the work for majority of the standing committees and that is why up till today, we don’t have a comprehensive report on the budget.”

Saraki, who expressed disappointment with the attitude of the MDAs, said the Senate was prepared to conclude work on the 2018 Appropriation Bill to ensure its passage.

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