PulseNets has learned that the House of Representatives has urged President Bola Tinubu to promptly submit the 2025 budget, warning that failure to comply could lead to its outright rejection. This resolution came after a motion of national importance was presented by Rep. Clement Jimbo (APC, Akwa Ibom), who emphasized the executive’s failure to adhere to section 11(1)(b) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007, which mandates timely budget submissions.
Speaking to PulseNets, Rep. Jimbo explained that the law compels the government to submit a Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) covering the next three financial years at least four months before the start of a new fiscal year. He highlighted that this provision ensures prudent management of national resources, long-term macroeconomic stability, and greater transparency in fiscal operations.
Jimbo further noted, “The time the National Assembly requires to exercise its functions as enshrined in section 88(2)(b) is technically being taken away by the non-compliance of section 11(1)(b) of FRA 2007 by the executive.” He stressed that the legislative body must have adequate time to review and approve the budget, and any delays compromise their constitutional role.
In support of the motion, Rep. Billy Osawaru (APC, Edo) expressed concerns that such delays interfere with the assembly’s oversight functions. “We don’t want anything that will infringe on our time and hinder our oversight functions,” he told PulseNets, further accusing some Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of exploiting the delays to manipulate their budgets.
Minority Leader Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP Rivers) also spoke to PulseNets, pointing out that the current administration had previously committed to maintaining a budget cycle from January to December, a departure from the erratic timelines of past governments. He warned that the rushed review of last year’s budget affected the quality of legislative oversight and urged bipartisan support to prevent this issue from recurring.
In a more assertive tone, Rep. Solomon Bob (PDP Rivers) told PulseNets that the House should reject any budget submitted late. “Henceforth, if they bring a budget that is late, we should reject it,” he declared.
Also Read: APC chieftain calls out Tinubu for ignoring Wike in Rivers crisis statement
Adopting the motion, PulseNets reported that the House mandated the committees on national planning, economic development, appropriation, and finance to ensure compliance with the FRA and report back within two weeks.
