A report by Sahara Reporters indicates that senators are under pressure from the presidency to expedite the 2024 budget’s passage despite lacking essential details for a comprehensive assessment.
Expressing concern, an anonymous senator quoted in the report questioned the rationale behind passing a national budget without access to crucial details.
He said the absence of budget specifics impedes informed debates and hampers senators’ ability to assess its impact on various sectors and senatorial districts.
His words:
“The National Assembly is expected to pass the budget before 31 December. But till now, the senators don’t have a copy of the budget for scrutiny. They are under pressure to pass the budget even without details available.
“We don’t know whether so many things are padded in the budget. Making a copy of the budget available to senators would allow them to look into all the sectors and make informed contributions during the debate.
“It will even afford us the opportunity to know how it affects different senatorial districts.”
The report further revealed that senators have not received a copy of the budget as at the time of publishing.
President Bola Tinubu presented the ‘Budget of Renewed Hope’ to a joint session of the National Assembly last Wednesday.
However, crucial details remain undisclosed despite the budget’s second reading and referral to the Committee on Appropriations.
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