The House of Representatives will commence a public hearing into the 2017 budget from Monday, February 13 to Wednesday, February 15, 2017.

Spokesman of the House, Abdulrazak Namdas, made this known during an interaction with Journalists on Friday, saying that 59 stakeholders had been invited for the exercise.

“By Monday, we are going to have what we call the national budget hearing – a public hearing on the budget. The aim is to make the budget all inclusive for all Nigerians,” Namadas said.

“So far we have written to 59 stakeholders to submit their memorandum and it includes the NLC, TUC, Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Bar Association and several others.

“This is to keep to the promise that for the first time we are going to have a public hearing on the budget. People will be able to provide their opinions and at the end we will have a budget.”

The lawmaker also gave clarifications to the controversy surrounding the recently passed Nigerian Peace Corps bill, saying that the national assembly did not merge the organization with any other.

He said: “One thing I want to clarify again is that we don’t have any bill known as national unity and Peace Corps.

“However, there is a clause that provided that people of great interest, common interest should be accommodated.”

According to Namdas, the clause read: “Groups or associations that have similar objectives and have shown or are interested shall be absolved as members of the Nigerian peace corps, subject to the mandatory limited training structure and teaching programme as prescribed from time to time upon the commencement of this act.”

“So the national assembly did not merge any organisation with the Peace Corps,” he said.

The House of Reps Spokesman also said that out of the 18 bills so far signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, 17 came from the House of Representatives.