2023: Senate Will Expedite Action On Electoral Bill – Lawan
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has on Tuesday assured that the upper chamber of the National Assembly would expedite action on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill having concluded all consultations on the President’s response.
This was as he also assured that the Senate would continue to give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the required support through legislative interventions to ensure that the Commission succeeds in the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
Lawan, who gave the assurances while addressing Senators on resumption from the Christmas and New Year break, noted that the Senate postponed discussions on the consideration of the response of President Muhammadu Buhari on the Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill in December last year.
He said this became imperative to enable the Senate consult with its counterparts in the House of Representatives and their Constituents respectively, adding that having done so, the chamber would expeditiously look into the Electoral Bill having concluded all the needed consultations on the President’s response.
In the words of Lawan; “Like we all know, the Senate and indeed the National Assembly worked so hard on the Bill. Having consulted, the Senate will expeditiously look into the issue.
“Political activities leading to 2023 general elections have already started. This Senate should continue to provide the support that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) needs for successful elections across the country”.
The Senate President therefore tasked standing committees to strategies on ways to effectively oversight Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government to ensure thorough implementation of the 2022 budget passed by the National Assembly in December last year and signed into law by President Buhari.
He further said; “before we went on the recess, we considered and passed the Appropriation Bill on 22nd of December, 2021. That was the third consecutive time to pass the annual appropriation bill before end of year.
“The Bill was signed into law on 31st of December, 2021 by Mr President, to give the desired effect of starting the implementation of the Budget from January 2022.
“I once again commend the Senate, indeed the National Assembly and the Executive arm of Government for working tirelessly to maintain the instituted January to December budget cycle.
“As we all know the oversight of the implementation of the Budget is a critical function of the National Assembly. We must therefore strategize on effective oversight of the implementation of the 2022 Budget.
“This is going to be the last budget that would be fully implemented for 12 months in the life of the Ninth Senate. We therefore, need to supervise very closely”, Lawan said.
The Senate President assured that the Senate would develop a strategy of engagement with revenue generating agencies on how to make them achieve their targets and generate more revenues in 2022.
According to him, this would reduce the country’s dependence on external borrowing to fund critical infrastructural projects.
“Funding of the 2022 Budget is predicated on significant borrowing. Our country is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. We have to construct and provide infrastructure, in all parts of our country because infrastructure is needed for our nation to develop.
“However, we do not generate enough revenues to fund the provision of such infrastructure. Until more revenues are generated, the country has to borrow and also resort to other sources of funding our infrastructural development. But we cannot continue to borrow endlessly.
“It is imperative that we need to improve on the revenue to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio. At about 8% Revenue to GDP ratio, our country is basically at 50% of what is required of the revenue to GDP of 15% for it to support any significant economic development.
“The Senate will develop a strategy of engagement with revenue generating agencies on how to make them achieve their targets and generate more revenues in 2022.
“The Senate will ensure that we boost their revenue generating drive with a view to reducing borrowing for development of our much needed infrastructure. This is a major challenge for our development and we need to treat as such”, he said.