Lagos Assembly Resumes From Recess, Silent On 2019 Budget

Funke AzeezJanuary 8, 2019

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The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday resumed plenary without deliberations on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s 2019 budget proposal.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the lawmakers commenced a three-week recess on December 18, 2018, for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The House, which resumed on Monday, failed to discuss any issue before adjourning till Thursday, January 10, due to its inability to form a quorum.

The Lagos State Government had been criticised for not keeping to its tradition of presenting its annual budget before the beginning of a new year.

But in a statement on January 3, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Olusegun Banjo, explained that the 2019 budget of N852.317bn was already before the state House of Assembly and was intended to be read on December 24, 2018.

Banjo said Ambode had also sent a verbal message on his intention to present the budget on December 24, 2018, after the State Executive Council had approved it on December 19, 2018.

“But the ceremony was postponed as the House was on recess and could not form a quorum,” he had said.

NAN reported that when the house resumed plenary on Monday, it only sat to adjourn.

The Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts (State), Mr Moshood Oshun, moved the motion for adjournment, while Mr Segun Olulade, representing Epe II, seconded the motion.