Senate President Ahmad Lawan says the national assembly is
already considering a request by President Muhammadu Buhari to approve the
N23.7 trillion spent without the greenlight of the legislature.
Buhari had asked the national assembly to approve the sum,
which he said were funds provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through
loans for “emergencies” in the space of 10 years.
Last week, the senate suspended the request after a rowdy
session.
Speaking with reporters in Abuja on Tuesday after the signing
ceremony of the 2023 budget, Lawan said the assembly is insisting on getting
the requisite documents that would enable it to approve the Buhari’s request.
“We are already
considering that but let me tell you where the problem is,” Lawan said.
“While we are trying to consider and pass the request. We
will insist on getting the right documents for our committees to ensure that
whatever they advise us to do in the two chambers is based on information and
knowledge and not just passing ‘ways and means’ without knowing what it is.”
Lawan said though the ninth national assembly has not done
all that it desired to do, it has passed the medium-term expenditure framework
and fiscal strategy paper (MTEF/FSP) and budgets in record time.
“We haven’t done as
we would have wished to do but I think at the risk of sounding immodest, the
ninth national assembly has passed the MTEF and FSP at normal time, passed the
appropriation bill, passed the finance bill. And of course, we are very glad
that we have been able to do that.
“Nigeria faces challenges of revenue and this is going to be
our focus.
“This is going to be what the national assembly, both
chambers, will ensure that we get revenues, we find more sources, better
sources, stabilise resources and of course, look into some of the legislations
and some of the waivers and concessions granted, to see whether or not they
deserve to continue to be implemented in a manner they were approved.”
Meanwhile, at the signing ceremony, Buhari said it would
cost the federal government N1.8 trillion in interest, if the national assembly
fails to approve the aforementioned sum.
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