•Says executive will ensure judicious use of budgeted resources
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, signed the N2.176 trillion Supplementary Appropriation Act aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture as well as tackling critical infrastructure deficit, among other considerations. The supplementary budget was passed last week by the two chambers of the National Assembly.
Tinubu, while signing the budget into law, commended the legislative arm for its expeditious consideration and approval. He assured Nigerians that his government would ensure the judicious use of the budget.
Tinubu signed the Supplementary Appropriation Act, 2023, in his office at State House, Abuja, in the presence of Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; Chairmen of the Appropriation Committees in the Senate, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, and the House of Representatives, Hon. Abubakar Bichi; as well as Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Zacch Adedeji.
Giving a breakdown of the supplementary budget, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, said the newly approved expenditure for defence and security was about 30 per cent, while 35 per cent was dedicated to the provision of critical infrastructure to be allocated to the Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Bagudu explained that 32 per cent of the supplementary budget was allocated to the new Wage Award for treasury-paid federal workers to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy, in addition to cash transfers to vulnerable persons, and support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), among other considerations.
The Senate had last week approved the N2.17 trillion supplementary budget for the 2023 fiscal year, as proposed by Tinubu.
However, the House of Representatives scrapped the budgetary allocation of N5.095 billion for the purchase of a presidential yacht in the 2023 supplementary budget.
At the red chamber, Akpabio had announced the approval after majority of the senators supported it through a voice vote at plenary. The supplementary budget was earlier considered and approved at the Committee of Supply before it was passed at plenary.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Adeola, had submitted the report on the appropriation budget for consideration.
Unlike their counterpart at the House of Representatives, the Senate was silent on the controversial N5 billion for the purchase of the presidential yacht.
In his presentation, Adeola had recommended that N18 billion be approved for Statutory Transfers, N1.3 trillion (N1,033,471,162,373) for Recurrent (non-debt) expenditure and N1.1 trillion (N1,125,320,123,660) as contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure for the year ending.
He had listed the ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government that would benefit from the supplementary budget as INEC, Ministry of Defence, police formations and commands, and Office of the National Security Adviser
Other beneficiaries included the Department of State Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Housing, and Federal Capital Territory Administration. The senate president subjected the committee’s report to a voice vote and majority of the senators supported its approval.
