A source in the committee had expressed displeasure in the inability of the minister to meet the two-week deadline given to her to submit written answers to the questions.
Irked by the minister's refusal to comply with the deadline, 247Nigerianinfo yesterday that the committee would not work on the budget unless the minister responds to the questions.
In the legislative process, a committee plays a crucial role as the clearinghouse before the passage of a bill.
The source said members of the committee had resolved not to look at the revenue framework until the minister responded to their request.
It was learnt that the committee had written a reminder to Okonjo-Iweala, telling her that it will accept nothing short of written answers from her to its queries on the economy.
The source said: "As I am talking to you, the finance minister has not yet responded to our questions and we are not joking about it, we must be given these answers before we do any work on the budget revenue frame work.
"It is the sole responsibility of the finance committee to work on the revenue framework which will form the basis for the passage of the budget together with the expenditure frame work which will be worked on by the Appropriation Committee.
Therefore, we have decided that we will not open up the budget revenue frame work until she responds to the 50 questions."
Also, contrary to the earlier perception that the committee was harsh on the minister when she appeared before it before the House went on Christmas recess, the source said she was politely attended to in line with parliamentary tradition.
The committee had granted the minister the permission to go and receive treatment after she complained that she was ill but a few minutes later, she changed her mind and insisted that she was fit enough to answer the question.
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