Niger House passes budget amid controversy

Dipo Laleye, Minna - 26.03.2008

Niger State House of Assembly, after a stormy session on Tuesday, passed the 2008 appropriation bill without forming the mandatory quorum for such action to be taken.

Sixteen members of the 25-member House were at the sitting while one of those who initially came for the sitting walked out before the bill was passed, leaving 15 members in the chamber.

Following the nullification of the election of two All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) members, the number of legislators in the House was reduced to 25, making the quorum for the passage of any bill to be 16.

All the 11 opposition members from the All Nigeria Peoples Congress (ANPP) and the Action Congress (AC) also shunned the sitting where the budget was passed, claiming that due process was not followed in the debate of the general principles of the bill.

After a heated debate, the House leader, Alhaji Labaran Garba, moved that the bill be passed and was unanimously passed.

The assembly increased the budget from N53.3 billion to N55.4 billion following the approval that the executive should purchase one car for the 25 chairmen of the House standing committees.

The Speaker, Alhaji Mohammed Mohammed Alkali, directed the clerk of the House to prepare a clean copy of the bill for the governor’s assent.