By Emman Ovuakporie & Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA — THE 2014 Appropriation Bill and the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, will be given priority attention by members of the House of Representatives when the House reconvenes tomorrow after their Christmas recess.

House Committee Chairman on Media and Public Affairs, Rep Zakari Lafia Mohammed (APC, Kwara) who disclosed this, weekend, said the lawmakers have resolved to take the budget head on as soon as they resume to fast-track its passage.

Mohammed said members would act based on the report of finance committee which had issued 50 questions to Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the state of the economy last year.

Although Okonjo-Iweala had responded to the 50 questions last week in a 102-page response, House finance committee said it would x-ray waivers granted by the ministry for three years.

The lawmakers had last year raised an alarm over the 2013 budget implementation and performance, saying it was below 40 per cent. But Okonjo-Iweala had insisted it was over 70 percent.

The legislators could not consider this year’s budget as it was laid before them a bit late on December 19, the day they proceeded on their Christmas break.