House of Representatives Approves Extension of 2023 Budget Implementation

The House of Representatives has passed the 2023 Appropriation Act (Amendment) Bill 2024 and the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Act (Amendment) 2024.

The legislative chamber voted in favor of all clauses contained in both bills, which seek to extend the implementation of the capital aspect of the 2023 budget from June 30, 2024, to December 31, 2024.

President Bola Tinubu presented the two bills to the parliament via a letter, which was read on the House floor by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

The House, originally scheduled to reconvene on July 2, 2024, cut short its recess to consider these executive bills. At the resumption of the plenary, the bills were read for the first time.

During the second reading, House Leader Julius Ihonvbere noted that there were no alterations to the contents of the 2023 supplementary budget but merely a request to adjust the date to enable the completion of ongoing projects.

Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda expressed concerns about the implications of running four different budgets simultaneously, suggesting that incomplete projects from the 2023 budgets be transferred to the 2024 supplementary budget.

Sada Soli, representing the Jibia/Kaita Federal Constituency, stated that the 2023 supplementary budget’s extension necessitates the simultaneous extension of the 2023 Appropriation Act. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa (APC-Kano) agreed with Chinda, highlighting the moral dilemma of running multiple budgets concurrently, despite its legal defensibility.

He urged his colleagues to pass the bill, but the opposition lawmakers rejected this demand.

Before the House entered a closed-door session, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas emphasized that the 2023 supplementary budget was primarily security-related. He appealed for support, noting that the President’s request for an extension was crucial for national security.

Upon reconvening, the House members voted in favor of the bills. The Senate had earlier extended the life cycle of the 2023 supplementary budget from June 30 to December 31, 2024.