The Spokesman of the Senate and Chairman of the Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, has revealed that the Senate is concerned about the federal government’s revenue generating capacity especially as it reviews projections in the 2025 Appropriation Act.
Adaramodu who spoke to reporters in Abuja on Monday, also explained that the Red Chamber considers the merits behind requests for increase in budgetary allocations made by some agencies of government.
According to the Senate Spokesman, “Even if the budget is N100 trillion, agencies would still ask for further increases, but when we look at the merit of it, then as submitted in the report of the Appropriation Committee and that of Finance, you know even when we are dealing with the budget, we have to be mindful of the revenue to be generated by the federal government.”
This is as he disclosed that the Chamber may pass the N49.7 trillion 2025 budget this week.
An optimistic Adaramodu explained that both Chambers of the National Assembly have so far received positive feedback from their Appropriation Committees, as he noted that consultations and further deliberations towards approving the budget this week has already been done.
According to him, the Appropriations Committee of the Senate is likely to submit its final report today, Tuesday.
“You know we are reconvening on the 4th, which is Tuesday. So when we convene, we will be expecting the reports.
“So issues that the reports would generate will determine the day the budget will be passed. It’s not going to be a graveyard silence.
“The report would be laid on the floor, and then we will ask questions from the Committee on Appropriation and the Committee on Finance.
“Thereafter the Senate would seek the concurrence of the House of Representatives and then the transmission to the presidency for assent.
“So, the Senate is expecting the report of the Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday.
“Immediately, it will be committed to the Committee of the Whole chamber, whereby we pick the budget clause by clause, almost line by line.”
“We may likely pass it, but it depends on so many variables, like the report of the Appropriations Committee and then the exhaustive debate that we will have on the budget report thereafter.
“We want to do this budget thoroughly so that we will not be going back and forth on all these supplementary. We want to be thorough. We want to be thorough with it.”
