Lawan: National assembly will pass 2022 budget before Christmas

Senate President Ahmad Lawan says the national assembly will pass the 2022 appropriation bill before the Christmas holiday.

Speaking at the New Telegraph award ceremony on Friday night in Lagos, Lawan said the legislature is working to ensure that the bill is passed early enough so the executive could start acting on it in the new year.

The senate president bagged the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award in Politics’ at the event.

“This is my fourth term in the senate. When we came in 2019, our colleagues decided to give us the opportunity to serve them,” he said.

“As a member, I have never seen a senate chamber that is so united, determined and focused on achieving great deeds of legislation and development for our dear nation as this.

“The ninth senate and indeed the ninth national assembly has recorded great success and that is not to say that we have no differences; we all decided that this time around, we must work for Nigeria together, in spite of our political dispositions.

“It is in this regard that we have said that the 2022 appropriation budget would be passed before Christmas so the executive would begin to act on it in the following year.”

On his part, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos governor, said the journey to a “greater Lagos” is on course.

“Indeed, it is an honour and every sense of humility that I receive this award on behalf of the entire 22 million Lagosians who continue to support our government, who continue to see that indeed the journey of a greater Lagos is on course, who continue to bear with the little inconveniences of all of the infrastructure that we are doing,” Sanwo-Olu said after receiving an award for ‘Good Governance of the Year 2021’.

“I also dedicate it to them for continuing to believe that their hope is not lost on us. And those who continue to encourage us to do more that is required, I want to thank all of you.”