…Pressing national needs, emergencies not featured — Peter Obi faults budget
By Sodiq Adelakun
In a move aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s security and addressing the country’s infrastructure needs, President Bola Tinubu signed the N2.176 trillion Supplementary Appropriation Act on Wednesday.
The president’s action comes after the National Assembly expeditiously considered and approved the budget.
The signing ceremony took place at the State House in Abuja, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, in attendance.
The president’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, confirmed the signing in a statement and highlighted the importance of the Supplementary Appropriation Act in strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and tackling the critical infrastructure deficit.
The allocation of funds towards security will help equip security agencies to effectively combat the various security challenges plaguing the country.
The Supplementary Appropriation Act is expected to have a significant impact on Nigeria’s development trajectory.
Others present were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; Majority Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele; the Chairmen of the Appropriation Committees in the Senate, Olamilekan Adeola, and the House of Representatives, Abubakar Bichi, as well as the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji.
The National Assembly passed the budget last Thursday with a minor difference.
The Supplementary Budget was signed into law, with some changes made by the House and Senate.
The N5 billion allocated for a presidential yacht was moved to the student loan line by the House, while the Senate left it as is.
The Senate ultimately adopted the House version. The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, provided a breakdown of the supplementary budget.
Approximately 30 percent of the budget is allocated to defence and security, while 35 percent is dedicated to critical infrastructure for the Federal Ministries of Works, the Federal Capital Territory, and Housing & Urban Development.
Bagudu also explained that 32 percent of the budget is allocated to a new Wage Award for treasury-paid federal workers, which aims to cushion the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy. Additionally, funds will be allocated for cash transfers to vulnerable individuals and support for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), among other considerations.
President Tinubu praised the National Assembly for their swift consideration and approval of the budget. He assured Nigerians that the executive branch will ensure the responsible use of the allocated resources.
…Peter Obi faults budget, says pressing national needs, emergencies not featured
In a swift response to President Bola Tinubu’s signing of the N2.17 trillion supplementary budget, Peter Obi, the charismatic presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), took to the digital realm to express his disappointment with the financial plan.
With a touch of dissatisfaction, Obi highlighted his expectations for a supplementary budget of this magnitude, particularly at such a late stage in the financial year.
He believed that it should primarily address urgent matters concerning the welfare of the nation. However, to his dismay, the budget presented by the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration fell short of his expectations.
Venting his concerns on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, Obi made his stance clear on Wednesday, November 8.
“Sadly, the most pressing national needs and emergencies have not featured in the supplementary budget that was just announced by the government.
“For example, the United Nations and World Food Programme have recently alerted that up to 6.5 million Nigerians will go hungry next year. This number is largely from among citizens in Sokoto, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, and Zamfara States. A caring Government in order to plan for the mitigation of such pending catastrophe can request for supplementary budget provisions to cushion those under threat.
“No item of urgent social welfare has yet featured in the supplementary budget being orchestrated by this government. Instead, the items being made to dominate public discourse on the budget include a mysterious Presidential Yacht, Presidential Jets, the furnishing of already lavishly furnished presidential quarters and offices, fleets of luxury SUVs etc.
“This portrays a government that is totally uncaring and insensitive to the suffering of the majority, and indifferent to the mood of the nation.”
The former Anambra governor continued, “The government’s overall attitude does not indicate that it is aware that the country is in a huge crisis, nor is the government in tune with the plight of the generality of our people.
“Even worse is the fact that most of the funding for these profligate expenditures will be largely borrowed. The least that Nigerians expect from the government at this difficult moment is empathy and realism, not lavish indulgence.”