Mr. Saraki warned senate committees not to engage in “money for budgeting” deals with MDAs, a practice believed to have been rampant in the past.
Mr. Saraki gave the warning on Wednesday as the two houses of the National Assembly, the Senate and the House of Representatives, gave the 2016 Appropriation Bill a second reading, thereby referring the budget proposal to their respective appropriation committees.
The budget passed the second reading at the House of Representatives on Tuesday, after a three-day debate that started last Wednesday.
The Senate reached a similar decision on Wednesday, after four days of deliberations.
Speaking at the end of the debate on Wednesday, the senate president, Bukola Saraki, summarised the central points of the debates before putting the question on whether the bill should be read for the second time.
Responding to concerns expressed by opposition senators about the government’s plan to borrow over N2 trillion to fund the budget, Mr. Saraki said that judicious utilisation of the money borrowed was more important.
He also noted the economic diversification and crude oil benchmark, among other themes of the debate.
After the bill was read the second time at the senate, Mr. Saraki ruled that the proposal be referred to committee on appropriations.
He said Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, would start defending their respective budgets Thursday.
He charged the Senate Committee on Appropriations led by Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe State) to submit its report by February 24.
He said the success of the budget when passed would depend on the supervision of the legislators.
“The committees must therefore be empowered to carry out our oversight functions,” Mr. Saraki said.
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