The Senate has passed the N819.5billion amended supplementary budget for 2022.
The passage was after the request was read the third time, just as N70billion is appropriated for the 469 federal lawmakers for improved working conditions .
The Senate had prior to the passage, entered into a closed door session from 3. 32 pm and came to an end at 4.41 pm to brainstorm and give the request an accelerated passage as the
letter from President Bola Tinubu was read yesterday on the floor of the Senate.
In the amended N819.5billion 2022 supplementary budget , the Senate set aside N500billion for cushioning of effects of subsidy removal as requested for by President Tinubu .
The summary of the amendment read : ” N500 billion for palliatives and other capital expenditure to cushion the effect of recent subsidy removal policy.
“N185,236,937,815billion to Ministry of Works and Housing to alleviate the impact of the severe flooding experienced in the country in 2022 on road infrastructure across the 6 geopolitical zones.
“N19,200,000,000billion to Federal Ministry of Agriculture to ameliorate the massive destruction to farmlands across the country during the severe flooding experienced last year.
“N35 billion to National Judicial Council ( NJC) and N10 billion to Federal Capital Territory Administration ( FCTA) , for critical projects execution while N70 billion is for the National Assembly to support the working conditions of new members”
The N500billion appropriated for cushioning effects of subsidy removal , was accordingly domiciled in the Ministry of Finance , Budget and National Planning.
However in his explanation, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, APC Ekiti South while speaking with Journalists said that the N70billion appropriated for the federal lawmakers had earlier been provided for in the Act that is now amended .
He said, ” Aside the N500billion specifically carved out for cushioning effects of subsidy removal, other appropriations made , were retained as passed by the 9th National Assembly.”
President Bola Tinubu had yesterday written the Senate, seeking for the approval of N500 billion to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
In the letter read by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu is seeking for the amendment of the 2022 supplementary appropriation act to accommodate the funds.
The letter is titled, “Request for the amendment of the 2022 appropriation act”
The letter read in part: “I write to request the approval of the President of the Senate an amendment of the 2022 appropriation act in accordance with the law.
“The request has become necessary in other to source for funds to provide necessary palliatives to cushion the effect of the recent removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria.
“The sum of N500 billion only has been extracted from the 2022 appropriation act of N819.536 for the provision of palliatives to Nigerians to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal. I expect that the Senate will speedily consider the request.”