The Nigerian Senate has said the passage of the 2018 budget is being delayed by ministers and a majority of the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) who have refused to either submit details of their 2018 budget proposals or their amendment as requested by Senate committees.

Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Sonny Ogbuoji made the disclosure on Wednesday while briefing other lawmakers on the status of the 2018 budget.

According to Senator Ogbuoji, most heads of ministerial agencies have refused to interface with the Senate committees for consideration of their proposals despite the expiration of the ultimatum given to them.

“Most of the sub-committees have huge challenges with the MDAs because majority of them are not coming forward to interface with them. Some of them, ministers, they will tell you they are travelling out of the country and because of them, the MDAs are not fully ready,” Ogbuoji said.

“Again, some of the MDAs, when asked to go back to work on what they brought, they don’t come back. And that is really delaying the work. That is why we don’t have a comprehensive report up till today,” he added.

The Senate had on February 14 issued a one-week ultimatum to 63 government agencies who were yet to submit details of their 2018 budget proposals.

The lawmakers accordingly resolved to issue another one-week ultimatum to the MDAs after which they said the committees would work only with the appropriation as submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari.

While urging the MDAs to yield to the Senate’s appeal, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki said the Senate Majority Leader, Ahmad Lawan would communicate to the heads of the defaulting ministries on the need to discharge their roles in the budget process.