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Tag: Abdulrasak Namdas

  • Reps break 2018 Budget laying promise

    The expectation that the 2018 budget would be lad this week dissipated Tuesday as there was no indication that such would happen.

    Last week, the House of Representatives promised that the budget would be laid this week Tuesday and passed before the end of the week, but the Order paper of the House Carried no such item. Journalists who were on the watch out for the laying of the budget were disappointed.

    The National Assembly had assured that 2018 Budget will be passed this week,

    While briefing reporters at the National Assembly on Thursday last week, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Abdulrasak Namdas had said that the 2018 Appropriation bill will be passed into law this week.

    He said: “By the Grace of God, we will lay the budget on Tuesday and then try to pass it that same week.

    “But where laying it on Tuesday and I can assure you that within that same week, we’re going to pass it.

    “We tried to do that, but you know, the budget is a voluminous document.. Actually, we’ve been working hard so that we can beat the deadline, and hopefully this time around, I can assure you that by next week, everything about the budget will be concluded and passed..”

    Similarly, the Senate gave the same assurance on the passage of the budget this week.

    But the leadership of the National Assembly on Monday at the Villa during a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari gave the promise a little twist while speaking with journalists.

    While speaking with reporters, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki said the budget may be laid this week, but would be passed next week.

    This further compounds be conflicting dates given by the Legislature on when the Appropriation Bill would be passed.

    Before the Tuesday date given for the laying of the budget, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara had promised late April for the passage of the bill while the Chairman House Committee on Appropriation, Mustapha Dawaki had promised this current month of May.

    Though the the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Abdulrasak Namdas was said to be in South Africa as at yesterday, repeated calls to his phone number were not answered.

    Repeated efforts to speak with him did not yield any fruit as at the time of filing this report.

  • 2018 Budget ready next week- Reps

    The 2018 Budget will be passed next week, the House of Representatives has assured.

    While briefing reporters at the National Assembly on Thursday, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Abdulrasak Namdas said that barring all unforeseen circumstances, the 2018 Appropriation bill will be passed into law.

    He said: “By the Grace of God, we will lay the budget on Tuesday and then try to pass it that same week.

    “But we’re laying it on Tuesday and I can assure you that within that same week, we’re going to pass it.

    “We tried to do that, but you know, the budget is a voluminous document.. Actually, we’ve been working hard so that we can beat the deadline, and hopefully this time around, I can assure you that by next week, everything about the budget will be concluded and passed..”

    Namdas, while responding to a question on the proposed three- day suspension of legislative activities to protest the killings across the country, said it will take effect after the passage of the Appropriation bill and follow no definite pattern.

    If you recall, there had been conflicting dates given by the House on when Nigerians should expect the passage of the Appropriation Bill.

    While the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara had earlier announced that the budget would be ready by late April , the Chairman House Committee on Appropriation, Mustapha Dawaki said the budget would be ready in May.

    After President Muhammadu Buhari presented the N8.612 trillion budget for 2018 to National Assembly early November last year, there had been hope for an early passage this time.

    But from all indications the appropriation bill which the President called ” a budget of consolidation ” is going to follow the late passage pattern of previous money bills.

  • $1bn Security Fund: Reps urge FG to follow due process

    The House of Reps has advised the Presidency to follow due process in obtaining one billion dollars from Nigeria’s Excess Crude Account ( ECA ) to fight insurgency.

    Spokesman of the House, Rep. Abdulrasak Namdas (Adamawa-APC), gave the advice in an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Namdas said that the National Assembly had not received any notice on such need of government, nor had it given any approval for one billion dollars to be taken from the ECA for the military to fight insurgency.

    According to him, the normal practice in Nigeria is that any amount to be withdrawn from the Federation Account must have approval from the National Assembly.

    “We are hoping that this will be brought before us before any amount is withdrawn.

    “Although from the presidency we have heard some explanations that the president has not approved.

    “What we have been told is that the National Executive Council (NEC) has given its tacit approval and that it will still come to the National Assembly.

    “But until we approve, no single amount can be taken from that account,” he said.

    The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) – Federal Government has been under criticism following President Muhammadu Buhari had approved one billion dollars from the ECA to procure more military hardware to fight Boko Haram terrorism.

    NAN

  • Reps ‘still awaiting’ PIB from Executive

    The House of Representatives on Thursday lamented the attitude of the Executive towards the transmission of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to the National Assembly.

    The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrasak Namdas, while speaking at the weekly briefing of journalists, said since the government version of the PIB is not forthcoming from the executive, the House would look into the bill from a fresh perspective.

    He, however, praised the Federal Government’s decision to increase fuel pump price, saying it would stop diversion of petroleum products to neighbouring countries.

    Namdas urged a section of the organised labour and civil society organizations threatening strike to “pursue other welfare programmes and let the subsidy be taken away.”

    He said the palliative measures in the 2016 Budget would help to cushion the effects of the fuel price hike.