National Assembly Approves N70 Billion for "Working Condition" of New Lawmakers in 2022 Supplementary Budget Amendment

 

The National Assembly passed an amendment to the N819.5 billion 2022 supplementary budget on Thursday. As part of this amendment, N70 billion was approved to support the "working condition" of new lawmakers.

However, during a briefing to provide clarification, Yemi Adaramodu, the Senate spokesperson, emphasized that the N70 billion was not a new allocation, as it had already been included in the 2022 supplementary budget. He clarified that this money was not intended for lawmakers but rather for the National Assembly itself.

The amendment received approval from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, just a day after President Bola Tinubu requested N500 billion in palliatives from the parliament. The breakdown of the amended N819.5 billion supplementary budget revealed that N500 billion would be allocated for palliatives to mitigate the impact of the recent subsidy removal policy. This fund will be managed by the Finance ministry.

Additionally, N185 billion was allocated to the Ministry of Works and Housing to address the severe flooding experienced in the country during 2022, specifically for the improvement of road infrastructure across the six geopolitical zones.

To ensure the credibility of the process, digital transfers will be directly made to the beneficiaries' accounts and mobile wallets. The program aims to stimulate economic activities in the informal sector while enhancing nutrition, health, education, and human capital development in the households of the beneficiaries.

Consequently, the Senate has been requested to grant approval for an additional loan facility of $800 million from the World Bank to support the National Social Safety Net Programme. The hope is for the Senate to expeditiously consider this proposal.

The message concludes with assurances of the highest regards.