The Lagos State House of Assembly has dashed the hope of many as it failed to pass the 2019 budget on Friday.
Expectations were rife that the lawmakers would pass the budget on Friday, but they dashed all hopes, raising fear that the lawmakers were on a mischief move to frustrate Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and ensure that he did not spend from the budget.
This is the first time since 1999 that the Assembly had not passed an appropriation bill by the end of April.
In Friday’s sitting, the House only took the presentation of the report of the Appropriation committee as contained in its order paper for Thursday’s sitting.
The Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, Gbolahan Yishawu presented the voluminous report at plenary.
After his presentation, Majority Leader of the House, Sanai Agunbiade said because of the volume of the report and its technicality, the House would have to choose another day for the comprehensive debate of the report.
It is after the debate of the report and necessary amendments that the third reading of the Bill will be taken before its passage.
Meanwhile if the recommendations of the Appropriation committee is adopted by the House it means the budget size will increase from the original N852.317 billion to N874.96 billion; that is a difference of about N22.541b from the figure presented to the House by the governor in February.
