Reps endorse Tinubu’s ₦500b palliatives request

The House of Representatives has granted President Bola Tinubu‘s fervent request to amend the 2022 appropriation act.

The House’s approval swiftly followed President Tinubu’s plea for a substantial allocation of N500 billion to provide much-needed palliatives to alleviate the profound hardships inflicted by the removal of subsidies.

During the plenary on Wednesday, the proposed amendment successfully navigated through the rigorous stages of first, second, and third readings. Furthermore, on Thursday, the House wholeheartedly endorsed the President’s entreaty, spurred on by the insightful contributions of its esteemed members.

In a letter to the House of Representatives, President Tinubu underscored the paramount importance of expeditiously approving the amendment to the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act, attaching the pertinent details for their perusal. Within the letter, the President explicated the necessity for sourcing funds amounting to a substantial N500 billion solely dedicated to the provision of palliatives aimed at mitigating the adverse consequences arising from the elimination of fuel subsidies for the Nigerian populace.

It is worth noting that in December of the preceding year, the national assembly had previously passed a supplementary budget totaling N819 billion for the fiscal year 2022.

Concurrently, they extended the implementation period of the 2022 budget until March 31, 2023, ensuring sufficient time for its execution. Subsequently, in May 2023, the national assembly passed an amendment to the 2022 supplementary budget, further extending the implementation timeline for the capital components until December 2023.