News

Reps Seek Timely Submiission of MTEF, 2025 Appropriation Bill

Published

2 years ago

October 16, 2024

/home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/house-of-representatives2.jpg&description=Reps Seek Timely Submiission of MTEF, 2025 Appropriation Bill', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">

/home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/house-of-representatives2.jpg&description=Reps Seek Timely Submiission of MTEF, 2025 Appropriation Bill', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">

ADVERTISEMENT

By Gloria Ikibah

The House Representatives has called on the Executive to submit the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to the National Assembly to enable the transmission of the 2025 Appropriation bill by the President for speedy passage of the budget.

This was sequel to the the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Rep. Clement Jumbo on the “Need to Urge the Executive to Comply With Section 11(1)(b) of Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007”, on Wednesday at plenary.

Naijablitznews.com recalled that the Senate and House received the 2024-2026 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) from President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.

Recall further that President Tinubu in a Joint Session of the Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday, 29 November 2023, also presented the sum of N27.5 trillion as the proposed 2024 Budget.

The lawmakers express worried that the time frame to go through the budget and it’s passage was rushed and did not give them enough time, giving the January to December budget cycle promised by the current administration.

Debating the motion Rep. Jumbo noted that the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 provides for the prudent management of the nation’s resources, ensures long term macroeconomic stability of the national economy, secures greater accountability and transparency in fiscal operations within a medium- term fiscal policy framework and the establishment of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission to ensure the promotion and enforcement of the nation’s economic objectives and for related matters.

The motion reads: “Further notes that section 11(1)(b) stipulates that the federal government must, not later than four months before the commencement of the next financial year, cause to be prepared and laid before the National Assembly an MTEF for the next three financial years.

“Worried that section 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution as well as section 30(1) of FRA 2007, specifically, section 88(1) stipulates that subject to other provisions of the 1999 Constitution, each house of the National Assembly shall have the power, by passing resolutions, to direct, or cause to be directed, an investigation into any matter or thing with respect to which it has power to make laws, and into the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry of government department charged or intended to be charged with the duty of or responsibility for executing of administrating laws enacted by the national assembly and for disbursing or administrating monies appropriated or to be appropriated by the National Assembly.

“Further worried that the time the National Assembly requires to exercise its functions as enshrined in section 88(2)(b) is technically being taken away by the non-compliance of section 11(1)(b) of FRA 2007 by Executive”.

Contributing to the motion lawmaker spoke in support of the motion saidnthe time stipulated in the Act should be complied with to enable the legislature carry out its oversight functions among others.

In his contribution, Billy Osawaru (APC, Edo State) said: “The timely late arrival of annual budget proposals, is one of the ways Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government shortchange Nigerians.

“If it takes four months to go through budget estimates, it should be four months.”

Also throwing his weight behind this motion was the Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, who said it was a wake up call for the government.

He said: “I believe as well this morning is to wake the present government from their slumber. The last budget like we rightly noted, we were almost rushed. In fact, we were rushed into concluding that budget.

“And that is what we want to avoid happening again this year. We can also say that the government perhaps no longer want to tolerate that situation where the budget, which is very important, in fact, the most important law that will be passed by this Assembly as it has to do with the Nations, will be brought and each of us will be restricted to conclude and pass that same budget.

“We want to comply with what we have agreed that there must be a certain period for the budget to run, that is January to December. I would therefore call on this House to please support this motion, regardless of party line, regardless of religion, this motion is in the interest of this country and is in our collective interest that this will be done and done right. We are going into the end of the quarter of this year. We expect that by now the MTEF would have been with us so that we can take it slowly.

“This motion is a clarion call. It is a good call. It is one that has our support”.

The House unanimously adopted the motion and mandated its on Committees on National Planning and Economic Development, Appropriation and Finance to ensure compliance within 2 weeks.

News

2025 Capital Budget Gets New Lease of Life as Reps Push Deadline to September

Published

50 minutes ago

June 15, 2026

Gloria Ikibah

ADVERTISEMENT

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has approved a three-month extension of the implementation period for the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act, shifting the deadline from June 30 to September 30, 2026.

The decision was taken during an emergency sitting held on Monday, as lawmakers moved swiftly to ensure the continued execution of capital projects captured in the national budget.

The legislation, which seeks to amend the Appropriation (Repeal and Enactment) Act, 2025, was designed to provide additional time for Ministries, Departments and Agencies to complete ongoing projects and fully utilise funds earmarked for capital expenditure.

In an unusually rapid legislative process, the bill passed through its first, second and third readings during the same plenary session after members suspended the relevant provisions of the House Standing Orders to facilitate its consideration.

Leading debate on the general principle of the bill, House Leader, Rep. Julius Ihonvbere, said the extension was necessary as several capital projects captured in the 2025 budget had not been fully implemented.

He emphasised that the amendment was not intended to alter any provision of the budget but merely to extend its lifespan by three months to allow ongoing projects to be completed.

He said: “It is very straightforward. Because some aspects of the capital appropriation will not be fully implemented, if we do not extend the life of this particular law, it will have a very grave impact on the growth and development of the national economy.

“The purpose essentially is to extend the lifespan. We are not touching any part of the law. It is simply extending the lifespan from June 30, 2026 to September 30, 2026. I urge my colleagues to approve this so that we can continue with the work of developing and growing our economy and country”.

Presiding over the session, Speaker of the House, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, acknowledged that the records provided by the Chairman House Committee on Appropriations and other relevant agencies revealed that implementation of the capital budget was yet to be completed.

“As you are aware, the 2025 budget was extended to June 30. From the records we received from the Chairman, Appropriations, and other relevant quarters, it is yet to be fully implemented. It is therefore in the best interest of this country and the National Assembly for us to extend the budget to September 30 to enable the Federal Government fulfil its obligations under the 2025 budget,” the Speaker said.

Following the adoption of the bill at second reading, the House dissolved into the Committee of Supply where it had the clause by clause consideration of the bill, and approved the three clauses, explanatory memorandum and long title of the bill.

The committee subsequently reported back to plenary, where lawmakers adopted its recommendations and suspended House rules to allow the bill to be read a third time and passed the same day.

The accelerated passage reflects growing concern over the pace of implementation of key infrastructure and development projects, many of which require additional time to reach completion.

With the approval, government agencies now have until the end of September to execute projects funded under the capital component of the 2025 budget, a move expected to prevent disruptions to ongoing works and improve budget performance.

The extension is also aimed at ensuring that resources already allocated for development projects are effectively utilised before the capital budget expires.

With the passage of the amendment, federal ministries, departments and agencies now have an additional three months to implement capital projects and utilize funds appropriated under the 2025 budget.

Meanwhile, the House also announced changes in the leadership of some standing committees.

The appointments are as follows:
• Rep. Ali Madaki – Chairman House Committee on Special Duties
• Rep. Ali Isa J.C. – Chairman House Committee on Shipping Services,
• Rep. Pascal Agbodike – Chairman House Committee on Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN),
• Rep. Kelechi Nwogu – Chairman House Committee on Hydrological Services

The Speaker urged the newly appointed committee chairmen to assume their responsibilities immediately and bring their legislative experience to bear in advancing the work of the House.

News

Day 4 of projects commissioning as President TInubu set to commission newly constructed Court of Appeal Building

Published

5 hours ago

June 15, 2026

Austin Ojomah

ADVERTISEMENT

President Tinubu will commission the newly constructed Court of Appeal (Abuja Division) Building today, 15/6/26 as FCT projects commissioning enters Day 4.

#FCTProjects2026
#RenewedHopeFCT

News

Cholera Outbreak: Plateau Records 5 Deaths, 11 Confirmed Cases

Published

7 hours ago

June 15, 2026

Admin

ADVERTISEMENT

Plateau State commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, has revealed that the state recorded 11 confirmed cases of cholera, five deaths and 53 suspected cases.

Baamlong, who disclosed this to journalists yesterday in Jos, said the confirmed and suspected cases were reported in Pushit, Mangu 1 and Mangu 2 communities in Mangu local government area (LGA).

According to him, the state Ministry of Health is intensifying public health interventions to contain the outbreak, prevent further spread and reduce its impact on affected communities.

He explained that the state had taken decisive actions to control the outbreak and protect its citizens via the deployment of additional Response Teams (RRTs) to the affected wards, scaling up of treatment centres and isolation capacity and the emergency procurement of Rapid Diagnostic Tests Kits, intravenous fluids and essential drugs.

The Commissioner further said that the ministry had activated an Incident Management System (IMS), for a comprehensive and multi sectorial response to the outbreak.

“The activation of the IMS ensures a coordinated, efficient, and accountable response structure in line with national and international emergency response frameworks,” he said.

Baamlong explained that cholera was an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

He urged residents of Mangu LGA and neighbouring communities to remain vigilant and take preventive measures, including drinking safe water, maintaining proper hand hygiene, avoiding open defecation, and ensuring proper waste disposal.

He also advised residents to promply report suspected cases of cholera to the nearest healthcare facility for immediate attention.

While reaffirming the state government’s commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of residents, Baamlong called on development partners and other stakeholders to support ongoing response efforts.(NAN)