President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has stressed that the passage of the 2020 Budget proposals will not miss the year-end deadline, urging all Ministers, Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to take advantage and defend their budgets.

Lawan in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, reiterated the position of the National Assembly at the unveiling of the Legislative Agenda of the House of Representatives, said that the lawmakers will not allow anyone to frustrate their desire to pass the 2020 Budget by December 2019.

“The National Assembly will do the right thing; which is to work on the budget and pass it,” Lawan said at the unveiling of the Legislative Agenda of the House of Representatives.

“We will not allow anyone to frustrate our desire to pass the 2020 Budget before the end of this year. So, it is an opportunity for all those concerned with defending their budgets, to take the advantage,” Lawan said.

He hinted that the Senate will suspend plenary next week Tuesday to begin consideration of budget defence by MDAs.

“One thing that we have collectively decided in the National Assembly is to pass the budget 2020 before the end of the year.

“Already, the House has suspended plenary; the Senate will do same on Tuesday next week for the consideration of budget defence by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

“Only the window of October is available for budget defence. Any Minister or Head of Agency who decides to travel out of Nigeria, without defending his or her respective budget would have no opportunity to do so.”