The Senate has passed a bill to amend the 2023 Appropriation Act to prolong the implementation year from December 31, 2023 to March 31, 2024.
The upper chamber also passed a bill amending the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Act to move the implementation year from December 31, 2023 to March 31, 2024.
This was taken during the plenary session of the National Assembly complex in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Thursday.
‘Judges Confirmation’
During plenary, the Senate also confirmed the nomination of the 11 Justices of the Supreme Court.
Among the newly confirmed judges is Justice Haruna Tsammani (North-East), who chaired the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Court.
Others are Justice Moore Adumein (South-South), Justice Jummai Sankey (North-Central), Justice Chidiebere Uwa (South-East), and Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme (South-East), etc.
The upper chamber confirmed them after a debate by the lawmakers who advocated for augmentation of the judiciary budget and also stated the impropriety of leaving a vacuum in the Supreme Court for an extended period before making the appointments.
The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters chaired by Senator Tahir Munguno, screened all 11 nominees on Wednesday and brought the report of the exercise before the lawmakers. Thereafter, approval was given after the Senate dissolved into the committee of the whole.
Thursday’s move is a sequel to their recommendation by the National Judicial Council and President Bola Tinubu’s letter to the lawmakers seeking their confirmation.