Following a closed-door session on 27 June, the House of Representatives has extended the capital component of the 2023 Appropriation Act and the Supplementary Appropriation Act until 31 December after a closed-door session in the face of fervent opposition from a section of the House.
While there was absolute chaos before that breakout meeting, a calm settled in after the door of the chamber was opened with lawmakers appearing more receptive to the president’s request— with Speaker Abbas announcing that the lawmakers agreed to allow the legislation with the assurance that the president will ensure the speedy implementation of the two budgets.
In the letter from the president read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas Tajudeen on the floor of the House, President Tinubu clarified that the request to extend lives of the N21.8 trillion 2023 budget and the N2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary budget would aid the government in implementing the two budgets optimally which also means it will run concurrently with the N27.5 trillion 2024 budget.
Notably, President Tinubu’s request for the extension initially met with fierce opposition splitting the House in two.
Things smoothened out after the closed-door meeting with the majority leader, Julius Ihonvbere moving a motion to suspend the relevant sections of its rules to allow the bill expeditious readings. He was seconded by the minority leader Kingsley Chinda.
However, the road to that approval was fraught with raucous disagreements in the House yesterday when majority leader, Julius Ihonvbere described the request by the president as straightforward as it does not aim to change the content of the Acts but to extend their lifespans.
Kingsley Chinda rose against the bills saying the National Assembly has, in the past four years, worked to maintain a January-December budget cycle hence, the president’s request offers potential derailment of that cycle. Saying the extension while legal lacks moral fabric and puts the nation in the position of running three budgets concurrently, in addition to the 2024 supplementary budgets the president is to present to the National Assembly soon.
He said “Let me say that there are legal but morally not correct. We are aware of the importance of the implementation of capital projects, and we know what capital projects can do in the lives of our people. But the application for extension of the 2023 Appropriation Act is also coming with the request to extend the life of the 2023 supplementary budget. We are also expecting the 2024 supplementary budget. A situation where we may have four budgets running concurrently is a bit of a problem.”
Chinda enjoined the Leader of the House to step down the request as the capital projects in the bill are transferred to the un-proposed 2024 Supplementary Appropriation Bill.
“I will suggest that the House leader (Ihonvbere) step this bill down. Meanwhile, the projects that were not completed in the 2023 budgets can be transferred to the 2024 supplementary budget,” he said to a loud applause.
Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) in support of the extension argued that there is nothing illegal in the request, stating that the PDP lawmakers are playing to the gallery.
However, a former Majority Leader, Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano) surprisingly supported Chinda in his reproach of the extension an indication that the opposing views of the president’s request were not limited to the opposition lawmakers.
Doguwa, a confessed ally of Tinubu, said the request was inappropriate and reiterated the argument that it fails in moral merit.
“You have two substantive budgets, the 2023 budget extended to December, and you are running them concurrently. I want to say without any fear of contradiction that the request may be legal, but that moral question will always be raised. For us as a House and an institution may not have the cause to stop it, I will be for it. I will convince people to be for it. We must unite ourselves and send a signal to the government of the federation,” he said
However, Doguwa’s attempt to persuade the lawmakers to approve President Tinubu’s request was not successful as they jeered at him.
Speaker Abbas also tried to muster the support of members, however, was unable to achieve that goal. He argued that the request is critical for the security sector saying “The supplementary budget of 2023 is 90 per cent security related. Because we couldn’t do everything we wanted to do, the president is asking that an extension be granted. Please, let’s kindly support this,”
The rowdy response of lawmakers to his appeal was what led to the Speaker calling for a closed-door session to discuss members’ concerns hence, the ensuing approval of the President’s request as the outcome of the breakout meeting.
