Senate President Ahmad Lawan has disclosed that the national assembly will pass the 2023 budget proposal of N20.5 trillion before the end of December.
Recall President Muhammadu Buhari presented the budget proposal to a joint session of the national assembly last week.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at a reception to celebrate the national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) bestowed on him, Lawan said the lawmakers are determined and purposeful to fast-track the passage of the bill.
Lawan said that the debate on the bill would commence on Wednesday.
“Tomorrow, we will start the debate on the 2023 appropriation bill. Like we did for the three previous sessions, we are going to pass it before the end of December,” he said.
On the national honour bestowed upon 12 lawmakers by the president, he said that did not come by fluke but on the understanding of the impact of the national assembly on the political stability in the country.
“We are purposeful and we are focused. It’s not for nothing that the presidency decided to honour 12 of us. They know our contribution to not only the administration of good governance, but also stability of the polity.”
“I strongly believe that the national assembly of today has provided so much input into political stability in Nigeria. The records are there.
“People can look at what we have done and also those things that we didn’t do. I believe that our colleagues in the 9th senate worked so hard,” Lawan said.