FG and Reps to discuss payment of 2018, 2019 NASS, judiciary budgets

The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an Ad-hoc Committee to liaise with the Minister of Finance to ensure that all outstanding arrears on First Line Charge to both the National Assembly and the Judiciary relating to 2018 and 2019 Appropriations Acts are paid.

This followed the unanimous adoption of a motion moved by Rep. Babangida Ibrahim (APC-Katsina) during plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Idris Wase on Thursday.

The motion is titled “Need to Ensure the Implementation of the National Assembly Budget of 2018, Particularly on Staff matters”.

Presenting the motion, Ibrahim recalled that the reports of the joint committees on the need to ensure the implementation of the National Assembly Budget of 2018 was adopted on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018.

The lawmaker also recalled that the reports and the provision of the 2018 Appropriation Act showed that the amount the National Assembly and the Judiciary received on First Line Charge, on monthly basis, was short by over N1. 2 billion and N833 million respectively from January to November 2018.

He also recalled the Resolution of the house that urged the Minister of Finance to release 100 per cent Funds on First Line Charge for both the National Assembly and Judiciary as captured in the 2018 Appropriation Act.

The house expressed concern that the failure of the minister to comply with the resolution had continued to affect the smooth operations of the National Assembly.

The lawmakers also resolved to invite the Management of the National Assembly to brief the Ad-hoc Committee on the status of releases to the National Assembly from Jan. 2018 to Dec. 2019.

The first line charge requires statutory transfers to the National Judicial Council, Niger Delta Development Commission, Universal Basic Education, National Assembly, Public Complaints Commission, National Human Rights Commission as contained in the 2018 Appropriation Act.