Today, @HouseNGR Speaker, Rep. @femigbaja, @NGRSenate President @DrAhmadLawan & the Leadership of the National Assembly met with the Minister of Finance, Budget & National Planning to be briefed on the plan to amend the N10.59 trillion 2020 budget passed by in December last year.
In his remarks, the Speaker called on the Federal Government to adopt a feasible benchmark in the proposed amendment to #Budget2020.
“The benchmark is so critical, once you passed the law, it becomes difficult to adjust that benchmark, and then what happens to the excess?”
“We’ve always had problems with the ECA, potentially an account which has no backing of the law. So, let’s even assume that price remains static at $35, it means $10 is going to the ECA which we have no control over in terms of spending, it’s why we guard that benchmark jealously
Speaking on Nigeria’s debt profile, the Speaker said, “I would also want to address the issue of our deficit and tie it with the issue of debt relief. I’m not sure I heard any presentation on how much we owe and how much we are paying back in this budget.
Earlier, the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, while briefing the leadership of the National Assembly said, “the US$57 crude oil price benchmark approved in the 2020 budget is no longer sustainable.”
She said that: "it is necessary to reallocate resources in the 2020 budget, to ensure the effective implementation of required emergency measures, and mitigate the negative socioeconomic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
She added that in line with the global economic outlook and relevant domestic considerations, the assumptions underpinning the 2020-2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework & #Budget2020 was revised to slash crude oil benchmark price from US$57 per barrel to US$25 per barrel...
reduce crude oil production benchmark from 2.18 million barrels per day to 1.9 mbpd.
The Minister also said that the federal government have adjusted the budget exchange rate to N360/US$1; and reduced the upfront fiscal deductions by @NNPCgroup for mandated Oil and Gas sector..
...expenditures by 65 percent from N1.223 trillion to N424 billion.
She disclosed that the amount available for funding #Budget2020 is now estimated at N5.548 trillion, down from N8.419 trillion, a revised revenue estimate which is 34 percent (N2.87 trillion) lower.
On Provision of N500 billion for COVID-19 Intervention Fund, the Finance Minister in her presentation explained that N263.63 billion will be sourced from FG’s Special Accounts, N186.37 billion from Federation Special Accounts & the balance of N50 billion expected as donations.
According to her, “the sum of N186.37 billion will be applied toward COVID-19 interventions across the federation, while an additional N213.60 billion was provided in the Service Wide Votes for COVID-19 Crisis Intervention recurrent expenditures.”
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House'll continue to prioritize healthcare
...as Speaker supports idea of bank for health
Addressing a delegation of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) led by its president, Prof. Innocent Ujah, the Speaker assured that the House will also fast-track the legislative process.
...on a bill to repeal and reenact the Nigeria Medical and Dental Council Act.
"Healthcare is one of the major areas of focus of the 9th House Legislative Agenda. We will continue to stand with you and anything that will help our country move forward.
You can't talk about nation-building without getting your healthcare delivery right
Just be rest assured that you have in this institution a friend. We will work with you. I must commend you that under the difficult terrain you work in, you're still able to do your job” he said.
Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila meets Abuja Vendors over dead colleague, seeks justice
...as vendors, distributors laud Speaker's leadership display over incident.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, on Sunday met with members of the Abuja Newspapers Distributors Association (ANDA) and the Newspapers Vendors Association, Abuja (NVAA) to condole with them over the death of their colleague, Ifeanyi Okereke.
@SpeakerGbaja, who visited the Abuja newspapers distribution centre at Area 1 in Abuja, said Ifeanyi, who died from a bullet fired by one of the security aides attached to his convoy, would get justice.
“the arc of the moral universe is long but it always bends towards justice”
Remarks by Speaker @femigbaja on the Nationwide #EndSars protest and the response of the House to the calls for wholesale reforms of the @PoliceNG
“Good morning Honourable colleagues, thank you for being here this morning.
About two weeks ago, I spoke to this honourable House about the need for urgent, substantive, and wholesale reforms of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and an overhaul of our nation’s internal security and policing framework.
This honourable House debated the failures of policing that have caused our nation’s youth to take to the streets in their numbers, demanding that Government live up to our primary obligation to ensure the security and welfare of our people.
Speaker @femigbaja lauds Sanwo-Olu over 377 Road Projects, N5bn COVID 19 support capital for Private Schools
The @HouseNGR Speaker, Rep. @femigbaja has commended the Governor of Lagos State, @jidesanwoolu, for flagging off 377 roads and power projects across the the state.
The Speaker said such people-oriented projects and initiatives must be commended and supported by all Lagosians.
He said the 377 projects would bring more dividends of democracy closer to the people, which is one of the goals of coming to power.
Gbajabiamila noted that the Governor's action has once again proven that the All Progressives Congress (@OfficialAPCNg) led government at both the federal and state levels was ready to impact positively on the lives of the people.
The House of Representatives is set for electronic conduct of its legislative activities on the floor of the chamber when it reconvene on Tuesday, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila said on Friday.
Speaker @femigbaja, who assured that the e-parliament promised by the 9th House on its inauguration in June last year would commence on resumption from annual vacation, expressed satisfaction that it was a promise fulfilled.
While on an inspection of the newly installed digital system accompanied by journalists, the Speaker regretted that over time, legislative activities were often hindered by obsolete public address system.
All arms of govt must work to address security challenges, Gbajabiamila says
The three arms of government must take all necessary actions to face and address the security challenges facing the country, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has said.
Speaker @femigbaja declared open a 2-day retreat and workshop on promoting effective legislation and oversight of the security sector in Nigeria organized by the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence in Abuja today.
He said: "We are at this moment experiencing in many parts of our country, significant internal security challenges that have disrupted the lives of many of our citizens, and led to a loss of lives and property at a scale that cannot easily be quantified.