BEVERLY HILLS, March 27, (THEWILL) – The Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje, on Monday explained that the expiry date for the 2016 budget is midnight May 5, this year.
Disclosing that the clarification became necessary following questions on the status of the 2016 budget, he pointed out that since the 2016 Appropriation Bill was assented to on May 6th 2016, it would expire at midnight May 5th, 2017.
Goje, who spoke to Senate correspondents, said that the new budget might be passed before May, even as he warned Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies against the practice of “mopping up funds” at the close of the budget season.
Quoting from the Appropriation Act, he said: “In line with the provision of Section 318 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) the bill (2016 Appropriation Bill) will run for a course of 12 months starting from the date it is assented into law.”
The lawmaker explained that the National Assembly carefully created the clause to foreclose any unnecessary anxiety about the duration of the 2016 budget.
He said, “As far as the Bill that was signed into law by Mr. President is concerned, there will be no mop up on 31st March 2017 since the validity period for the 2016 budget is midnight May 5th, 2017.
“If that is done, it will be a violation of the Act. We carefully created the clause that made provision for May 5,th 2017. The Act says that the 2016 budget will run for 12 months starting from the date the bill was assented to and it was assented to on May 6th 2016.”
Goje assured that the 2017 budget would have been passed before the life of the 2016 budget expires, adding that the National Assembly may be compelled to extend the validity period of the budget if it was unable to pass the 2017 Appropriation Bill into law before May 5.
His words: “Last year, when we were producing this 2016 Appropriation Bill, we realized that at the end of each year, there were usually requests for an extension of the budget from the executive. To avoid that, we decided to incorporate this new thing.
“In the 2016 Appropriation Act, which President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law, clause 11 of it says that “in line with the provisions of Section 318 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, this bill will run for a period of 12 months, starting from the day it is assented into law.
“President Buhari signed this bill into law on the 6th of May, 2016. This means this budget will run from that date up to the midnight of 5th of May, 2017. Unless of course if the Act is amended or altered as
deemed fit by the National Assembly.
“As far as the law is concerned, there is no need for any extension or mop up by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The mop they usually do will now be illegal. Except the National Assembly, in conjunction with the executive, amend this law, this is the position of the 2016 budget.
“We do not have to extend the 2016 budget. If May comes and there is need to extend, then we can do otherwise. I believe before that date, the 2017 budget will be passed. For now, this is the position of the law.”
