No fire brigade approach to passing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s N27.5tn 2024 budget, says Senate

The Senate Committee on Appropriations Chairman, Senator Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, said there will be no fire brigade approach to passing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s N27.5 trillion 2024 budget.

 

He reassured journalists Saturday after a committee meeting.

 

The member further denied that President Tinubu presented lawmakers with an empty box, implying that he was lacking documents.

 

Olamilekan called some lawmakers accusing him dumb.

 

The Senator denied the fire brigade approach to budget handling, saying that the executive and legislature were aware of January to December budget circle implementation and would work to pass the budget quickly.

 

According to him, “Saturday’s meeting was to plot a template that would ensure smooth committee hearing of the budget,” which required all key committee chairs to attend.

 

This area has no fire department. We must follow procedures. Agencies must defend their budgets and return them to the Appropriations Committee for committee review.

 

“We have only discussed the modalities we will use to ensure a smooth appropriation process in the Senate, and I think all the chairmen of the various Senate committees are here, and we discussed extensively so we can still meet the 31 December–January deadline so the president can authorize the budget.

 

“We have perfected the strategy and are ready. We mostly talked about that.

 

One change this time is that the House and Senate will have joint sittings, with some committees working from the Senate and others from the House. We can make the deadline.”

 

The Senate Committee on Appropriation has received the 2024 annual budget after second reading.