The Lagos State House of Assembly has failed to pass the 2019 budget on Friday.
It was expected that the lawmakers would pass the budget on Friday, but they dashed all hopes, raising fears that the lawmakers were on a mission to frustrate Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and ensure that he did not spend from the budget.
This is the first time since 1999 that the Assembly had not passed an appropriation bill by the end of April.
During Friday’s sitting, the House only took the presentation of the report of the Appropriation Committee as contained in its order paper for Thursday’s sitting.
The Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, Gbolahan Yishawu presented the voluminous report at plenary.
After his presentation, Majority Leader of the House, Sanai Agunbiade said because of the volume of the report and its technicality, the House would have to choose another day for the comprehensive debate of the report.
It is after the debate of the report and necessary amendments that the third reading of the Bill will be taken before its passage.
If the recommendations of the Appropriation committee is adopted by the House, it means the budget size will increase from the original N852.317 billion to N874.96 billion; that is a difference of about N22.541b from the figures presented to the House by the governor in February. – The News.
