PDP lawmakers delaying the passing of 2019 budget – Ndume

– Ali Ndume blamed PDP lawmakers for the delay in passing the 2019 national budget

– Ndume said the PDP lawmakers are frustrating efforts by the Senate to discuss the 2019 Appropriation Bill submitted by President Buhari

Former Senate leader, Ali Ndume, representing Borno south, has accused the leadership of the Senate and lawmakers on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of frustrating efforts by the Senate to discuss the 2019 national budget submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari.

This Day reports that Ndume, who spoke with journalists after plenary Wednesday, January 23, said that as far as federal lawmakers belonging to the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC) are concerned , the budget proposals can be attended to within a week and passed but the Senate headed by lawmakers on the platform of the PDP, seems not to be interested in the consideration of the budget proposals.

He said: “Though federal lawmakers on the platform of APC are more in number than their counterparts in PDP but since it is the PDP lawmakers that are controlling the leadership of both chambers , the speed at which any executive bill, particularly the 2019 Appropriation Bill before us now will take, lies with them.

“Those of us in the APC in both chambers have the passion and the will to effect expeditious consideration and passage of the 2019 budget proposals but the required speed for that lies with the leadership, topmost of whom are PDP members.”

Tracknews.ng earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives asked the minister of budget and national planning to correct some irreconcilable differences in figures presented in the 2019 budget with immediate effect.

Two lawmakers, Adamu Chika (Niger state) and Honourable Ahmad Patigi (Kwara state) pointed out that the budget was riddled with errors.