By Christiana Ekpa
The 2023 N2.17 trillion supplementary budget yesterday scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.
The supplementary budget, sent by President Bola Tinubu, was debated and passed for a second reading by the House.
President Tinubu had in a letter to the House, asked the House to approve a N2.17 trillion supplementary budget till December 2023.
The budget is as follows: N18 billion for statutory transfer, N992.8 billion for recurrent expenditure and N1.16 trillion for development fund for capital expenditure.
Leading the debate on the bill, the Majority Leader of the House, Julius Ihonvbere, said the government needs the money to fund the agreement between FG and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
He urged his colleagues to pass the bill so that workers could enjoy their end of the year holiday.
He said: “We have a government that is listening. The budget is coming at a time when it is needed. Governance at the end of the day is about people and the courage to redirect the focus of the society.”
Supporting the bill, Ben Kalu said the roads across the country need urgent intervention, noting that the N1.17 trillion for the capital project in the proposed budget.
Following the debate, the bill was adopted unanimously and passed for a second reading. It was subsequently referred to the Committee on Appropriations
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