The Senate has said it was yet to receive any communications from the Presidency regarding plans to reduce the size of the 2020 budget by N1.5 trillion.
Reacting to media reports that the Federal Government had concluded plans to slash the budget by N1.5 trillion and without recourse to the National Assembly, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Godiya Akwashiki said the Senate was still expecting the official communication to reach the table of the President of the Senate in line with provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
He said the Senate will not hesitate to act on the request as soon as it was received.
Akwashiki said ahead of the executive communication, the Senate met behind closed doors on Thursday and mandated its Committees on Finance and Appropriation to work the modalities for the proposed reduction.
The Senate had on Wednesday concluded that “downsizing the 2020 budget had become inevitable”, following global economic impact on the prices of crude oil.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
