Posted by By James Ojo, Abuja on
A clean copy of harmonized 2008 Appropriation Bill of the National Assembly will be ready for presidential assent next week, spokesman of House of Representatives, Ezuiche Ubani has revealed.
A clean copy of harmonized 2008 Appropriation Bill of the National Assembly will be ready for presidential assent next week, spokesman of House of Representatives, Ezuiche Ubani has revealed.
Briefing the House press corps yesterday, Ubani said that the differences in the budget passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly would be resolved by the conference that had swung into action after Wednesday's passage of the budget.
While the Senate jerked up the budget to N2.898trillion from N2.453trillion presented by President Umaru Yar'Adua, the House pushed it to N2.944 trillion.
Ubani assured that the conference of the two chambers would sort out the difference and present a clean copy for adoption before forwarding it to the president for approval.
'The differences in the budget passed by the Senate and the House is for the good of the country, members appointed by the two chambers had almost concluded their assignment, what is certain is that by next week, the 2008 Appropriation Bill will be ready for the signature of Mr President," he said.
On the activities of the House in the outgoing week, the spokesman disagreed with a report that members were demanding for a pay rise.
According to him, the suggestion for pay rise was not a decision of the House, but a member's opinion, adding that at no point did the House demand for increase in their salaries and allowances.
'We did not, at any point in time demand for new salaries and we will not. It is the RMAFC that proposes salaries that we earned. We don't live on free gifts, what we earn is approved by government. We took loans to rent our houses and as well, bought our cars and deductions are made from our monthly salaries," he said.
He restated the position of the House on allegations made by Senator Nuhu Aliyu, that his apologies were not enough to stall the investigation by the Ethic and Privileges committee to make public, members he said were fraudsters.
Ubani assured the House, under Speaker Dimeji Bankole was ready for repositioning for efficient delivery of legislation for good government.