By Chukwudi Obasi, Abuja
Today, the House of Representatives will commence the 2025 budget defence session with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The exercise’s reports are expected to be harmonised on January 22, while the Appropriations Committee’s report will be laid at plenary on January 31.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi(APC, Kano), disclosed this in an interview with journalists after the panel’s inaugural meeting on Monday.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had presented the N49.74trn 2025 Budget (Appropriation Bill) before a joint session of the National Assembly on December 18, 2024.
The House passed the budget through a second reading on December 19, 2024, and referred it to the Appropriations Committee, with all Standing Committees as subcommittees, for further legislative action.
Bichi told journalists that the budget defence would last until January 17, reports from the exercise may be harmonised on January 22, and the Appropriations Committee’s report would be laid at plenary on January 31.
The committee’s chairman assured that the panel and standing committees would be thorough with the budget defence in the interest of Nigerians.
“We just had the inauguration meeting today for the 2025 Appropriation Bill. As you know, the President presented the budget, and by tomorrow, we will start the budget defence with all the MDAs. From tomorrow to the 17th, we are going to do our budget defence. We will likely harmonise on the 22nd, and God’s willing, by the 31st, we are going to lay our reports.
“We are going to study the budget; all our committees will study the budget. I believe the budget is for Nigerians, for our development – infrastructure and other important things, and I am sure Nigerians will be happy with it,” Bichi said.
Bichi said the parliament will scrutinize the proposed budgetary expenditures, revenues, and other issues in President Bola Tinubu’s 2025 Appropriation Bill, which was presented to the National Assembly.
He said, “We just had an integration meeting today for the 2025 appropriation bills. As you know, the President has presented the budget to us, and by tomorrow, we’ll start the budget defence by all the MDAs. From tomorrow to the 17th, we are going to do our budget defence, and we will likely harmonize by the 22nd.
“But what we do first is we complete our reports. Now, we are going to study the budget. All our committees will study the budget. I believe it is for Nigerians, for development infrastructures and other important things, and I’m sure Nigeria will be happy with it”.
