
The House of Representatives Wednesday urged the Executive to comply with section 11(1)(b) and submit to the National Assembly 2025 budget proposal without further delays.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on the need to urge the Executive to comply with Section 11(1)(b) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 sponsored by Clement Jibo.
In adopting the motion, the lawmakers mandated their Committees on National Planning and Economic Development, Appropriation and Finance to ensure compliance within two weeks.
While presenting the motion, Jibo noted that The Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 provides for the prudent management of the nation’s resources, ensures long-term macroeconomic stability of the national economy, secures greater accountability and transparency in fiscal operations within a medium-term fiscal policy framework and the establishment of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission to ensure the promotion and enforcement of the nation’s economic objectives and for related matters.
He stated that Section 11(1)(b) stipulates that the federal government must, not later than four months before the commencement of the next financial year, cause to be prepared and laid before the National Assembly an MTEF for the next three financial years.
The lawmaker expressed worry that “Section 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as section 30(1) of FRA 2007, specifically, section 88(1), stipulates that subject to other provisions of the 1999 Constitution, each house of the National Assembly shall have the power, by passing resolutions, to direct, or cause to be directed, an investigation into any matter or thing with respect to which it has the power to make laws, and into the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry of government department charged or intended to be charged with the duty of or responsibility for executing of administrating laws enacted by the national assembly and for disbursing or administrating monies appropriated or to be appropriated by the National Assembly”.
Jibo further expressed dismay that the time the National Assembly requires to exercise its functions as enshrined in section 88(2)(b) is technically being taken away by the non-compliance of section 11(1)(b) of FRA 2007 by the Executive.
The motion was unanimously adopted.