There are indications that certain senators are being bribed over the 2016 budget.
— The Senate president, Bukola Saraki has vehemently kicked against such act.
— The national budget has undergone its second reading.
Following several controversies that have trailed the 2016 national budget, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki has warned fellow parliamentarians against taking bribes from ministries, departments and agencies of government when considering funding requests for the 2016 budget.
Saraki vehemently warned the legislators on Wednesday, January 27, just as the two houses of the National Assembly, gave the 2016 Appropriation Bill a second reading.
After the its second reading, the budget proposal was referred to their respective appropriation committees.
The Nigerian Senate has had a second reading of the 2016 budget.
Saraki warned senate committees not to engage in “money for budgeting” deals with MDAs, a practice believed to have been rampant in the past.
Premium Times reports that the budget passed the second reading at the House of Representatives on Tuesday, January 26, after a three-day debate that started last Wednesday.
At the end of the debate on Wednesday, Saraki, summarised the central points of the debates before putting the question on whether the bill should be read for the second time.
He also responded to concerns expressed by PDP senators regarding the government’s plan to borrow over N2 trillion to fund the budget, stating that it is in the judicious implementation of the budget that the value of the funds borrowed will be made clear.
The chief legislator reminded the House, that for the budget to succeed, then the lawmakers must supervise diligently.
Saraki ruled that the proposal be referred to committee on appropriations, this was after the bill has been read twice.
He noted that ministries, departments and agencies would start defending their respective budgets on Thursday, January 28.
He charged the Senate Committee on Appropriations led by Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe state) to submit its report by February 24.
It would be recalled that recently, Saraki advised political office holders to be up and doing, stressing the elected servants of the people have no choice but to deliver on their promises to the people.
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