The House of Representatives said on Tuesday that the budget discussion for 2023 will start on Wednesday.
The disclosure was made by Hon. Idris Wase, Deputy Speaker of the House, who chaired the plenary session on Tuesday.
You may recall that on Friday of last week, President Muhammadu Buhari presented the budget to a joint session of the national parliament.
Wase instructed the Chairman of the House Rules and Business Committee, Abubakar Fulata, to see to it that members received copies of the appropriation bill and the president’s speech.
The debate would have started on Tuesday if the bill had been on the order paper, he added, urging members who wish to speak to put their names down appropriately.
Wase said: “Hon. Colleagues, by the grace of God, we shall commence the debate tomorrow. Those who are interested should write their names.
“Please, ensure that the president’s speech is distributed to every member. If the budget is not ready, at least, the speech should be ready”.
During the Tuesday plenary, Reps members passed into third reading five different bills.
The bills included “A Bill for an Act to Provide for Establishment of Service Compact Management Agency (Servicom) for the Effective Management, Execution and Enforcement of Service Compact with Citizens, Setting, Control, Implementation and Enforcement of Service Charter and Standards, the Identification and Facilitation of Resolution of Service Failures and Enhancement of Citizens Service Rights and Responsibilities in Nigeria; and for Related Matters (HB. 558); A Bill for an Act to Establish Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Professionals of Nigeria for effective Regulation, Registration of Members and Determination of what Standard of Knowledge and Skills to be Attained by Persons seeking to become Registered Members, and Qualification to Practice as Forensic and Investigative Professionals; and for Related Matters (HB.791); A Bill for an Act to Provide for Establishment of National Religious Harmony Commission; and for Related Matters (HB. 1103); A Bill for an Act to Establish Agency for National Ethics and Values Compliance to Provide for the Functions and Powers of the Agency, the qualifications and procedures for the appointment of the Chairman and Members; and for Related Matters (HB. 242) and A Bill for an Act to Establish Chartered Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria and to make Provisions, among other things, for Membership and Control of the Profession of Public Administration; and for Related Matters (HB.329)”.
In the same vein, at the committee of the whole, the House considered the reports of “A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Customs and Excise Management Act, Cap. C45, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and other Customs and Excise Legislation and Enact the Nigeria Customs Service Bill, 2022 to Provide for the reform of the Administration and Management of Customs and Excise in Nigeria; and for Related Matters (HB 1729)”.
Others were “A Bill for an Act to Establish National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund (NYSCTF) for the purpose of providing a Sustainable Source of Funds for the National Youth Service Corps, Skill Acquisition, Training and Empowerment of Corps Members, Training and Retraining of the Personnel of the National Youth Service Corps, Development of Camps and NYSC formations and Facilities therein; and for Related Matters (HB. 1795) and “A Bill for an Act to Provide for Ease of dDoingBusiness to ensure Transparency, Efficiency and Productivity in Nigeria; and for Related Matters (HB. 2015)”.