The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation has formally closed the collation of reports on the 2016 budget from Standing Committees.

This is contained in a statement issued by Rep. Abdulmumini Jibrin (APC-Kano) Chairman, Committee on Appropriation and made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

He said that the committee would appropriate funds to Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) supervised by substantive committees that failed to present their 2016 budget defence reports.

Jubrin listed the committees to include Public Accounts, Loans, Aids and Debts Committee, Committee on Gas Resources, Public Service Matters Committee, Maritime and Safety Committee, Interior Committee and Committee on National Security‎.

He said that only 60 substantive committees met the Feb. 26 deadline of presenting their budget defence reports and recommendations, covering improvements, shortcomings and actions to be taken in their respective MDAs.

“Due to pressure of time we have to tidy up the final report with the Senate.

“The Committee on Appropriation will have to take over the work of committees that failed to present their reports by appropriating funds for the MDAs that they supervise.

“The committee will also interface with officials of the Ministry of Finance, Budget Office on March 3 to fine tune the reports.”

The chairman commended the 60 substantive committees for their cooperation and for heeding the call to submit their reports within the deadline.

“This is for the overall interest of the nation and the commitment of the National Assembly to pass the 2016 budget, latest by the second week of March.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has sent a delegation to Kogi State in an attempt to intervene in the crisis rocking the State House of Assembly that resulted in a purported impeachment of the Speaker.

The impeachment controversies have paralysed legislative activities at the chamber and drew the attention of the federal lawmakers.

Five lawmakers in a 20-member House sat on February 16 and purportedly removed the Speaker, Honourable Momoh Jimoh.

The lawmakers also chose Umar Imam as the new Speaker of the House.

Mr Friday Sanni, who briefed reporters about the impeachment, said the Speaker was impeached for not carrying other members of the House along in the affairs of the House.

In an attempt to restore normalcy in the legislative chamber, the House of Representatives set up a committee to investigate the impeachment controversy and broker peace between the factions.

The Committee visited Lokoja, the state’s capital on Saturday and met with the Governor, Mr Yahaya Bello.

In a meeting with Governor Bello, the 10-man Committee headed by Honourable Pally Iriase spelt out their fact finding mission before going into a closed door meeting which lasted for over an hour.

At the end of the meeting this is what the chairman of the committee and the governor have to say when journalist bombarded them with questions.

The Committee members also met with the members of the House of Assembly but the anti-Jimoh lawmakers were absent.

After the closed-door meeting the lawmakers refused to speak with reporters on the outcome of the meeting.

The embattled Speaker, however, said they would resume legislative function soon while the committee chairman said they had gotten needed facts and would send their reports to the House.

(NAN/Channels TV)

•Photo shows the House of Reps in session.

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