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Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives, yesterday, deferred commencement of debate on the general principles of the 2019 Appropriation Bill to next week.
The House had scheduled the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill, which was laid before a joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari, on December 19, 2018, as item number under Orders of the Day, in yesterday’s Order Paper.
But, Speaker Yakubu Dogara said debate on the Appropriation Bill will now commence next week, by which time every member of the House would have received a copy of the budget.
In his welcome speech, after a four-week recess, Dogara had earlier said the Appropriation Bill is the major assignment which the House must discharge quickly, so as not to impede government business.
“The 2019 Appropriation Bill is the major assignment we have to discharge as quickly as possible so that government business will not be impeded as the life of the Federal Government draws to a close.
“It is imperative in this regard that we accelerate our pace of work in all the legislative processes involved in the Bill so that it can be passed in good time,” he added.
Across the aisle, Senate is also yet to commence debate on the Appropriation Bill.
