As President Bola Tinubu presented the 2025 budget proposal of N47.9 trillion before the joint session of the National Assembly, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio has charged the ministers and heads of various federal government agencies to get prepared to defend their sectoral allocations in the proposal.
Akpabio, in his welcome address, titled: “A call to unity and progress” at the presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill, warned that there would be penalty for refusal to honour the invitation of the National Assembly.
He commended President Tinubu for his steadfast commitment to collaborate, cooperate, and work with the National Assembly to achieve his grand vision for Nigeria.
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“However, let me take this opportunity to stress the importance of the Honourable Ministers and Heads of extra-ministerial departments being prepared to respond promptly to requests for them to come and defend their sectoral allocation in the exercise of our legislative oversight.
“We have observed concerning behavior from some ministers and heads of extra-ministerial departments, who sometimes neglect their duty to promptly submit to legislative oversight, sometimes even disregarding invitations from relevant committees of the legislature.
“It is imperative they understand that we will not condone such breaches of the Constitution going forward,” he said.
He assured the President that members of the National Assembly in both chambers would be his “eyes” across the country, saying “while you cannot be everywhere, you have eyes everywhere.”
“We, the Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members of the House of Representatives, are your eyes in our constituencies and every corner of Nigeria. When our constituents struggle to afford rice, they come to us. When their shoes pinch, they seek our assistance. When the economic alarm sounds, they turn to us.
“Therefore, we are committed to ensuring that you touch the hearts and pulse of Nigerians through these Appropriation Bills resonating with the sounds of hope and signaling the dawn of Nigeria’s economic rebirth,” he added.
The Senate President commended Tinubu for his achievements within 18 months in office, saying Nigerians were aware of the progress made so far by the country.
“Nigerians are taking notice of your remarkable achievements: you have doubled aggregate government revenues to over N18.32 trillion, reduced debt servicing expenditures from 97% to 68%, fulfilled $7.5 billion in foreign exchange obligations, increased oil production to 1.8 million barrels per day, and launched the Compressed Natural Gas initiative.
“Your administration has processed over N45.6 billion for student payments, signed the National Minimum Wage Law, and raised the national minimum wage to N70,000 a month, all while providing over N570 billion in financial support to the 36 states,” he pointed out.
Akpabio assured the President of a swift evaluation of the 2025 Appropriation Bills with a view to passing them on time.
He said: “As expected, we will ensure that due process is followed in passing these bills. We will do what is right and justifiable, conducting public hearings to ensure that the voices of Nigerians resonate within the budget, for all budgets belong to the people. If public sentiment necessitates adjustments to specific allocations, we will respond accordingly, ensuring that such actions are not misconstrued as padding.”