Opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives has faulted the produce for the increment of 2025 budget budget via letter from the president.
The latest addition of N4.5 trillion in the 2025 budget brings the total of 2025 budget to N54.2 trillion.
The deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ben Kalu at the plenary on Wednesday read the letter from President Bola Tinubu seeking the increase of the 2025 budget from N49.7 trillion to 54.2 trillion.
While the Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda wasn’t against the increment of the budget, he was of the opinion that budget presentations from the executive ought not come in the form of a letter.
However, Kalu maintained that he only read a letter from President Bola Tinubu, adding that the House through Order 1, Rule 1 can regulate its proceeding
He said: “I just listened to the Deputy Speaker present a very wonderful and beautiful budget speech. But I know that that is not a function of a parliamentarian, Mister Speaker, my point of order is changing Section 80…”
But Kalu interjected, insisting that he only read a letter and not a budget speech form the president.
Kau insisted: “Please correct that, we did not lay the budget on behalf of the executive. The Executive sent us a letter, and by our rules, we are supposed to read the letter of Mr. President.”
Chinda maintained that the budget being presented to the parliament does not come by way of letter.
His words: “What I’m saying is that the budget being presented to Parliament does not come by way of a letter. That is the essence of the objection. It comes under Section 83 of the Constitution, where the President will lay before Parliament income and expenditure projection, which has been done earlier.
“And so what we got today as a letter. I don’t know where to classify it. The procedure might not be right. It is not just an addendum.
“My dear colleagues, recall that the 2024 budget is still running and has not been completed, and we are still crying for funds to fund the 2024 budget, and that is one of the reasons why we had to extend the lifespan.
“So, if we have additional funds, there are places to apply it, and it will still be to the credit of the country. And if we are in 2025, we project that we are going to get additional revenue, it is for us to look at the budget, apply it properly and send it back to the executive.”
Chinda further argued that whenever the executive presents a budget, by the time the parliament completes the consideration, a budget of N4 trillion could be increased to N5 trillion.
“But the process and procedure that we are adopting today is completely strange to me. It does not fall anywhere under either our Constitution or the rules of the house,” China maintained.
Nevertheless, Kalu stood his ground, saying the 2025 Budget was still being considered by the parliament.
He noted: “Parliament functions through his committees. We cannot do the work of appropriation committee during plenary. If there’s anything that has to do with the budget of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a communication has been sent to us, It is our duty, especially with the power given to this chair by order 2, Rule 2. Minority Leader, can you read order one rule two?
Kalu read: “The proceedings in the House of Representatives, particularly sub rule two, in all cases, not provided for here and after or by Sectional or other orders, precedence or practices of the House by resolution regulate its procedure.”
You can, you can have your safe minority leader by other one sub order, please order one sub two, the house regulates his proceedings, and in this case, the chair is referring the letter of Mister President, as allowed by other one sub two, to the Committee of the house on appropriation. And I just want to prove the question. Those in support, that this may refer to the House committee on appropriation, say I. Those.
by other one sub order, please order one sub two, the house regulates his proceedings, and in this case, the chair is referring the letter of Mister President, as allowed by other one sub two to the Committee of the house on appropriation. And