Senate: Ending The Year On A Good Note

The 9th Senate, which came with the theme, “a Senate that works for the people,” is ending the year with its shoulders high. 

Returning the passage of the budget earlier for a January – December budget circle is one of the achievements of the 9th Senate. 

The passage of the electoral bill 2022 (now electoral act 2022) by both chambers of the National Assembly shaped the politics of Nigeria in 2022 and is now setting the pace for the 2023 general elections. 

There were back and forth deliberations on the electoral bill as politicians who have been benefiting from a fraudulent electoral process never wanted electronic voting and transmission of election results. 

From the presidency down to the National Assembly, there were some influential politicians who made efforts to sabotage the electoral amendment process only to be exposed by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). 

Buhari who has declined assent to the electoral act five times in six years because of excuses of errors, had to succumb to pressure from Nigerians to sign the bill when the CSOs exposed 11 drafting errors in the electoral act that would have rubbish the process. 

Today, every contestant in the 2023 general election is hopeful of winning because of the inclusion of the use of electronic voting and transmission of election results in the electoral act. 

Apart from the electoral act, the PIA is one of the achievements of the Senate. While many thoughts their last budget passage will enter the new year, the National Assembly members ensure that the budget is passed last year. 

Both Chambers of the National Assembly Wednesday increased the 2023 budget size from N20.51trillion presented to them by President Muhammadu Buhari on October 7, 2022 to N21.82 trillion  with a deficit of N10.782 trillion.

The N1.3 trillion increase in the budget size as separately explained by Chairman of Appropriations committees at both chambers, arose from additional funding earmarked for the National Population Commission (NPC) ahead of the planned 2023 Census , N173 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Nigerian Army, Navy, Nigeria Police Force, Ministries  of Agriculture, Health, Aviation and Science & Technology.

The National Assembly also increased the oil price benchmark proposed for the budget from $70 per barrel to $75 per barrel .

They however retained other parameters as earlier proposed by the President like 1.69million barrel oil production per day, N435.57 to a US dollar , 3.75% GDP Growth rate and 17.16% inflation rate .

Making presentation of the report in the Senate , the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee , Senator  Barau Jibrin ( APC Kano North) , said out of the N21.827 trillion, N967.486 billion is for statutory transfer, N8.329 trillion for Non – debt recurrent cost, N5.972 trillion for capital expenditure  N6.557 trillion for Debt servicing.

Under the N967. 48 billion  statutory transfers , the National Assembly Office has N30.492 billion, Senate N33.267 billion , House of Representatives , N51.994 billion , National Assembly Service Commission , N10.555 billion, Legislative Aides , NN16.520 billion, General Services N11.307 billion, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies ( NILDS) , N7.411 billion.

Others are: N30.173 billion for Severance / Inauguration of outgoing and incoming 9th and 10th Assembly Legislators , N10 billion for construction of NASC building , N2.5 billion for completion of NILDS Headquarters etc.

Outside the National Assembly , N165bn is earmarked for the National Judicial Council , N119.9bn for Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC)  and  N103 billion for Universal Basic Education.

Out of the N5.972 trillion proposed capital expenditure, the Ministry of Works and Housing has the lion vote of N398.275 billion , followed by Ministry of Defence with N285.045 billion , Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development , N248.358 billion, Ministry of Education, N153.735 billion. 

Whatever that transpired, the national assembly, especially the 9th Senate should be raising their should high because they deliver on their promise and also completed all their legislative agenda.