Beluchukwu Chinwuba
The House of Representatives has passed for the second reading the N4.3 trillion 2015 budget estimates and asked its standing committees to commence budget defence with the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS) of government under their supervision.
The House also adjourned plenary session till February 17 after the Presidential election slated for February 14.
During the plenary session, the House Leader, Honourable Mulikat Adeola-Akande led the debate on the general principles of the appropriation bill.
While leading debate, the House Leader maintained that the Federal Government want House “to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the federation the total sum of N4.357 trillion” as it expenditure in year 2015.
To this end, she added that, “the focus of the budget in 2015 is continuous job creation through infrastructure development, particularly in the areas of power, roads, agriculture, Youth Empowerment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP), housing and construction, creative industry, SURE-P.”
Akande-Adeola said the focus of the budget in 2015 is continuous job creation through infrastructure development particularly in the areas of power, roads, agriculture, housing and construction, creative industry and SURE-P.
On his part, Chairman House Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Mungono (Borno/APC) faulted the federal government proposed N5 billion counterpart funding for special economic development initiative for the Northeast contained in the 2015 budget.
Mungono considered the amount dismal in view of the heavy destruction recorded in the region from Boko Haram terror campaigns.
The government had last year allocated the sum of N2 billion for the said programme but failed to implement it.
