Jonathan writes Reps, presents 2014 budget Nov 12

President Goodluck Jonathan wrote the
House of Representatives on Tuesday
seeking to present the estimates of the
2014 budget to a Joint Session of the
National Assembly.
In the letter read by the Deputy
Speaker, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, the
President sought to be allowed to
present the estimates on November 12.
Part of the letter read, “I write to crave
your kind indulgence to grant me the
slot of 12:00 noon on Tuesday,
November 12, 2013 to enable me to
formally address a Joint Session of the
National Assembly on the 2014 Budget.
“While thanking the Honourable
Members of the House of
Representatives of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria for the constancy of their
support, please accept, Rt. Hon Speaker,
the assurances of my highest
consideration.”
However, Ihedioha, who presided over
Tuesday’s sitting, also read the riots act
to standing committees of the House
over their slow pace of work.
He directed them to submit their
oversight reports on the 2013 budget to
the House on Thursday.
The House had adjourned twice since
September to give the committees
enough time to conclude their oversight
visits to ministries, departments and
agencies of the Federal Government.
Lawmakers had said that they would use
the reports of the oversight as a guide
in considering the 2014 budget.
Members only reconvened on October
22.
But, on Tuesday, Ihedioha disclosed that
only 10 out of over 90 standing
committees had submitted the reports
of their findings on budget performance.
He warned that the leadership would be
forced to name any committee that
failed to produce its report by Thursday.
In a related matter, a member from Edo
State, Mr. Rasaq Bello-Osagie,
complained that the House was being
portrayed in bad light by committees
that failed to execute assignments
referred to them.