• Senate to suspend plenary for two weeks on resumption
  • fixes open day for Thursday

 

By Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja

The National Assembly will today commence consideration of the 2025 N49.7trillion budget with budget defence meetings between the Appropriations, Finance and other relevant committees of both Houses and Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government.

The report on the budget is scheduled to be laid on January 31, 2025 before the respective chambers of Senate and the House of Representatives.

This is just as the Senate on Monday announced that it would suspend plenary for two weeks upon resumption from its Christmas and New Year break on January 14, while its open day for various stakeholders to make input in the budget will hold on Thursday.

These were disclosed by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC Ogun West) during meeting with Chairmen of other standing committees in the Senate on Monday at the National Assembly.

Present at the meeting were chairmen of Senate Standing Committees and Principal officers including the Deputy Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru (APC Kwara South) and Senate Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno ( APC Borno North).

According to Sen. Adeola, though the time frame for consideration and passage of the 2025 budget by the National Assembly is short, the lawmakers will ensure that the work is completed within the timeframe.

He said, “Before this meeting with Chairmen of the various standing committees in the Senate, the Appropriation Committee met for several hours on best way to handle the consideration of the 2025 budget which was presented to the National Assembly on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 by President Bola Tinubu and passed for second reading by both the Senate and the House of Representatives on Thursday, December 19, 2024 .

“For expeditious and thorough consideration, hard copies of the budget proposals were obtained and already given to chairmen of the various committees as required reference documents during budget defence sessions with heads of MDAs under their preview.

“The tentative time table that has been drawn for consideration of the budget at committee level is that budget defence sessions begin from tomorrow ( Tuesday), while reports from various committees are expected to be submitted from 15th to 18th of this month.

“Afterwards, collation and tidying up of the various reports, will be done by the appropriation committee with the hope of laying final report on the budget to the Senate on 31st of this month.

“However, the 31st of January, fixed for laying of the budget is tentative as it is just given to guide our working.”

The committee entered into a closed door session with Chairmen of the various standing committees in the Senate after the introductory statements by the chairman.