Their life span was first extended to March 31, 2024 and later to June 30, 2024.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Tajudeen Abass had read Tinubu’s letters of request in the Senate and House respectively during plenary.
Both the Senate Leader, Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele, and Leader of the House Professor Julius Ihonvbere moved separate motions urging the Senate and House respectively to suspend their relevant rules to enable consider the Bills expeditiously.
Senator Orji Kalu (APC – Abia North) said there were many uncompleted projects in different parts of the country.
He urged his colleagues to disregard criticism on the extension of the budgets.
Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) argued that the budgets should not be extended continuously.
Thereafter, the Bills titled: “A Bill for an Act to amend the 2023 Appropriation Act to further extend its implementation to 31st December, 2024 and for related matters, 2024 (SB. 489)” and “A Bill for an Act to amend the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Act, to further extend its implementation to 31st December, 2024 and for related Matters, 2024 (SB. 488)” were read for first, second and third time and passed by the Senate.
Leading the debate on the two bills, House Leader Ihonvbere described them as straight forward saying they were aimed at ensuring the completion of all ongoing capital projects captured in the two documents.
But Minority Leader of the House, Kingsley Chinda, argued that while it is legally alright to extend the capital components of the budgets, it is morally wrong to have about four budgets running at the same time.
Following the disagreement, Abbas asked that the House should go into an executive session for members to iron out issues before resuming consideration of the bills.
After the closed-door session, the majority of the lawmakers supported that the two bills be approved when they were put to voice vote by Speaker Abbas.
