Senate to consider 2014 budget next week

President of the Senate, David Mark

The Senate said on Thursday that it would devote  three days  next week to  consider  and pass the 2014 budget.

It  also referred the screening of the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff and  service chiefs to its committees on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force.

The consideration of  President Goodluck Jonathan’s request  for the  confirmation of Col. Umaru  Ahmed (retd ) as a member of the governing board of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission  was also shifted till next week. The task  will be carried out by the Senate Committee on  Works.

The  committees  are to  submit their reports  within one week.

Senate President, David Mark,  who read a letter from the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma – Egba, said the debate on the N4.6 trn 2014 budget would begin on Tueday and end on Thursday.

Mark therefore urged senators to prepare for an exhaustive debate that would lead to the timely consideration and passage of the budget.

He said a register had been opened for senators who wished to contribute during the three-day debate.

Mark  recalled that   Jonathan had through the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, presented a budget estimate of N4.6 trn to the National Assembly  shortly before it went on Chistmas and New Year break.

The Senate asked its Committees  on Defence, Army, Airforce and Navy   to work with its counterpart in the House of Representatives   in screening the  CDS and the  new service chiefs.

The  CDS is   Air Marshal Alex Badeh;   Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen  Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff,  Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin;  and  Chief of Air Staff,  Air Vice-Marshal Adesola Amosun.

Attempts made   by Senator Kabiru Gaya to reject the appointments of the service chiefs were unsuccessful.

Gaya,who raised a point of order under Order 53 of the Senate Standing Rule, had argued that Jonathan violated the 1999 Constitution by appointing and giving portfolios to the service chiefs before submitting their names to the National Assembly for confirmation.

He said the President ought to have nominated and submitted their names   for approval before  assigning offices to them