Bankole - the House and Budget Challenge - Vanguard

30 November 2007
Posted to the web 30 November 2007

Kayode Akinmade
Lagos

THE nation may have already started counting the gains of a federal budget that will go into operation early in the year. This is because barring any unforeseen circumstances the 2008 budget implementation may begin in January.

The House of Representatives has handled matters pertaining to the budget in collaboration with the Senate such that there is hope of early passage of the appropriation bill. In fact, the House has set a deadline of December 20 for the passage of the bill.

If the National Assembly meets the target and President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua immediately assents to the bill, then history would have been made. It will be the first time under the current democratic dispensation that the operation of the budget would begin so early in the year. Save for during the military regime, the rule has been for the implementation of the federal budget to start late because so many bottlenecks would have been created. Besides, there was no legislature to do any vetting, thereby saving time that otherwise would have been spent raising queries to the executive that prepared the budget and answering them until all grey areas are resolved between the two arms of government. Full Story