Lagos State lawmakers may resume plenary today to consider the proposal to reorder the state’s budget for the year 2020 from N1.68 trillion to N920.5 billion.
Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa had directed the House joint Committees on Budget and Economic Planning and Finance to review the proposal contained in a letter forwarded by the state Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu requesting the lawmakers to-order the budget.
The committees were told to report back to the House within one week.
This directive came after a voice vote conducted by the Speaker based on a request for the budget re-ordering contained in a letter sent to the House by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The letter was read on the floor by the Clerk of the House, Mr. Azeez Sanni during plenary on Tuesday June 1, 2020.
The Lagos State Government had recently disclosed plans to reorder the 2020 N1.168tn budget following current economic challenges as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Sam Egube; and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, stated this during an inter-ministerial press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja.
Egube said the reordering became necessary in view of the slump in world oil price as well as the reduction in Internally Generated Revenue of the state.
He said, “We are working hard to review the budget to refocus and reorder it, taking into consideration the current challenges. We need to do this to give us the best chance of stimulating the economy and ensuring that the post-COVID-19 response economy will be strong, and enduring.
The House also mourned a former member of the Senate, who represented Lagos Central Senatorial District, Alhaji Muniru Muse, who died on Tuesday at 81.
Speaking on the demise of the politician, Hon. Mojisola Miranda, (Apapa Constituency 1) said that the senator died in the early hours of Tuesday June 1.
“Senator Muniru Muse was our leader in Lagos Central, Apapa in particular. He was a clerk in the Nigerian Port Authority and he later rose to become the Port Manager.
“He was the executive chairman of Apapa Local Government for two terms, and he later represented Lagos Central at the senate for one term.
“I want us to observe a minute silence on his behalf and write a letter to of condolence to his family,” she said.
The requests were later granted as the Speaker directed the Clerk of the House to write a condolence letter to the family of the deceased.
House later adjourned sitting to Monday June 8, 2020 by 12 noon.