Senate slashes 2008 budget by N150bn

Taiwo Adisa and Soji Eze-Fagbemi, Abuja
- 13.03.2008

THE Senate on Wednesday passed the adjusted 2008 budget in line with the demand of President Umaru Yar’Adua through a letter dated February 22.
The budget figures now stand at N2.748 trillion as against N2.893 trillion passed earlier by the two chambers of the National Assembly.

According to Senator Iyiola Omisore, Chairman, Appropriation Committee of the Senate, the new figure amounted to a reduction of N150.8 billion from the original budget.

The Senate had on February 28 set up a seven-man committee headed by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, which has as members, Senator Omisore, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Senator Abubakar Sodangi, Senator Ahmed Lawan, Senator Ibrahim Ida and Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and met with another seven-man committee led by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Usman Bayero Nafada.

A report by the joint committee which was presented by Senator Ekweremadu at the Wednesday sitting and was passed showed that the joint committee had reduced the budget by N150 billion from the earlier figure.

According to Ekweremadu, the joint committee recommended reduction in the recurrent allocations to Defence, Army and Air Force, Transportation, National Planning Commission, Senate, House of Representatives, National Assembly General Services and Judgment Debts.

He also stated that the committee recommended a reduction in capital votes of the Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources, Health, Interior, Science and Technology, Federal Capital Territory, Code of Conduct Bureau, Police Service Commission and the National Assembly.

The Senate also reviewed the 30-day limit for Due Process office to conclude issuance of certification for projects to 60 days. The president had requested a review of the clause.