The Senate has approved an extension of the Capital Project component of the 2022 Budget from 31st December 2022 to 31st March 2023
This followed a letter written to the leadership of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari seeking the extension of the same.
Reading the executive bill, Senate Majority Leader, Ibrahim Gobir (APC, Sokoto East) said the extension was necessary. He added that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has embarked on many projects in 2022 and as such, the extension was necessary because such projects were not captured in the 2023 proposal.
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Supporting the extension of 2022 capital projects to March 2023, Senator Adamu Aliero said the extension was necessary, explaining that the country went into serious flooding this year in most parts of the country and the need to extend the budget to next year’s March ending is apt. He added that it would help to mobilise the contractors to go back to sites.
While Senator Gabriel Suswam (PDP, Benue North East) shared the same sentiment, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) disagreed with the extension, stressing that the life of this administration is short; wondering at what time these projects can be completed in three months.
However, many Senators insisted on the extension of the 2022 budget.