Senate slams 1 week ultimatum on committees to Submit 2017 Budget Reports

The Senate on Tuesday gave all standing committees one week to present and defend reports of the 2017 Budget of Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) under them before the Committee on Appropriation.This deadline was announced to the committees at plenary by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu. The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu. In the process, he urged them to abide by the ultimatum to enable the appropriation committee to put finishing touches to the reports.According to him, the senate is committed to passing the 2017 Budget before the end of March. President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2017 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly on Dec. 14, 2016.In the meantime, the senate has sent a seven-member delegation to pay a condolence visit on the family of late former governor of old Bendel, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia.Led by Sen. Olusola Adeyeye,the chief whip, members delegated are Sen. Stella Oduah (Anambra-PDP), Sen. Umaru Kurfi (Katsina-APC) and Sen. Umaru Kurfi (Katsina-APC).Others are Sen. Barnabas Gemade (Benue-APC), Sen. Abdulaziz Nyako (Adamawa-APC) and Sen. Ben Bruce (Bayelsa-PDP). Ekweremadu announced that senators from Edo, who wish to join the delegation, could do so.Recall that Ogbemudia was former military governor of defunct Midwest region, defunct Bendel state and civilian governor also of Bendel.He took leave at 84 at a Lagos hospital.