Dearth of information may stall passage of budget

Taiwo Adisa, Abuja - 08.01.2008

The passage of 2008 budget currently being worked on by the National Assembly has suffered another setback as the legislators have threatened to delay its approval till February.

The legislators had promised to pass the budget before the end of 2007 so as to enable the government start its implementation early in the year.

But the Senate had announced in December that the ministries and paratsatals were uncooperative in their budget defence sessions, thereby stalling efforts to pass the appropriation bill on time.

Sources again told the Nigerian Tribune on Monday that the budget had suffered another delay, adding that this time, the legislators might not be able to pass the bill until late in February.

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, who was asked by the National Assembly to provide details of the revenue profile, has failed to do so even three weeks after the directive was given.

Sources said that the legislators had had their enthusiasm reduced as the cooperation was not coming from the executive on the quick passage of the budget.

Chairman, Senate Committee on appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who announced the failure of the senators to pass the budget in December, said that the ministries and agencies were stalling the passage of the budget and asked for two weeks to complete his assignment.

Sources said that his committee had scheduled to resume the consideration of the budget on December 27, but the plan was suspended due to the failure of the minister of finance to provide the revenue profile that informed the projections in the budget.