Budget Defence Process Grinds to a Halt in Nigeria Due to absence of lawmakers.

The defence of this year’s budget estimates by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government before the various House of Representatives committees could not begin yesterday in the House of Representatives.

As at 5 p.m yesterday, there was no sign of any activity at the various House committees’ rooms where the budget defence was scheduled to hold.

During our correspondent’s tour of all the committees’ rooms, it was discovered that no activity was going on anywhere; even the National Assembly complex was empty.

It was not clear at the time of this report why the budget defence failed to start. But it was learnt that the public event could not hold because most members of the House had not returned from the Christmas and New Year break.

The House is expected to resume plenary on January 14.

There were indications that the various MDAs would appear before joint committees of the Senate and House for their budget defence in view of the short time remaining for the lawmakers.

The Chairman of the House Copmmittee on Appropriation, Abubakar Bichi (APC, Kano), had said the lawmakers would scrutinise the budget very well in the interest of all Nigerians.

But our correspondent could not reach him last night to comment on why the defence did not hold, as planned, while his deputy, Igarewey Enwo, did not respond to the calls put across to him.

The chairman of a separate committee, who did not want to be named, told our correspondent that consultations were ongoing.

He said the lawmakers cut short their Christmas break because of the budget defence.