The House of Representatives, earlier today, engaged in a heated debate over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request to extend the implementation period for the capital component of the ₦21.83 trillion 2023 budget and the ₦2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary budgets to December 2024.
Reports indicate that the letter detailing this request was read by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, after which the executive bills seeking the extension were introduced.
House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, however, moved for the second reading of the bills to extend the 2023 budget and supplementary budgets to December 2024, House Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda opposed the request, arguing that it would be morally wrong to run three budgets concurrently.
He suggested moving key projects from the supplementary budget to the main budget instead.
Former House Leader Alhassan Ado Doguwa agreed with Chinda. Speaker Abbas Tajudeen urged members to support the extension, emphasizing that many items in the supplementary budget are related to security.
Despite Speaker Abbas Tajudeen’s pleas, most lawmakers opposed the extension, shouting “No! No!”
In response, the Speaker called for an executive session to resolve the issues before resuming the bill’s consideration.
The House is currently in that session.
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