The Senate on Tuesday abridged its plenary to enable its Standing Committees conclude work on the ongoing 2020 Budget defence.
Senate President. Ahmad Lawan said that the day’s plenary session would be brief.
He also announced another one-week adjournment of plenary to enable committee submit and defend their budget reports before the Appropriation Committee.
He commended his colleagues for their commitment and hardwork in the last two weeks.
He urged Senate Committees to take advantage of the one week adjournment to conclude their reports, submit and defend same before the Senate Committee on Appropriation.
He said that the Senate would resume plenary on November 5th after a motion to that effect was moved by the Senate Leader, Abdullahi Yahaya.
Lawan said: “Let me commend all our committees for the wonderful work that we have been doing on the budget defence in the last two weeks.
“We have shown committment, dedication and capacity to discharge our responsibilities very patriotically for the love of our country.
“Our committees have worked in some cases with sister committees in the House of Representatives.
“In some other cases, committees worked simultaneously with the House and the Senate.
“We have done so wonderfully well. We have almost finished the budget defence. Today will be the last day for budget defence, therefore this plenary session will not take long.
“We will adjourn to enable our committees conclude their budget defence today and also for our subcommittees to start forwarding their reports to the committee on Appropriation and defending from tomorrow before the Committee on Appropriation.
“That exercise will last for one week. It will start from tomorrow and conclude on the 5th of November.
“Within that period, we will not hold plenary so we will have the entire time to conclude work on the budget.”
It would be recalled that following the presentation of 2020 Appropriation Bill to a Joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari on the 8th of October, the Senate had adjourned plenary till October 29 to enable Committees engage with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the defence of their 2020 Budget estimates.
