2023 Appropriations Bill Passes Second Reading
The Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday completed the second reading of the N20.5 trillion 2023 appropriations bill.
The upper chamber referred the bill to its Committee on Appropriations for additional legislative action and expressed displeasure over the increase in recurrent expenditure, which is up from more than 6 trillion naira this year to more than 8 trillion budgeted for next year.
The MPs contend that Nigeria cannot keep borrowing money to support 1% of its population. The Senate then instructed its committee to submit a report within four weeks.
It postponed its meeting for the following four weeks so that its various committees could work on the 2023 budget estimates and a budget defense by various ministries, departments, and agencies.
Except in cases of emergencies, the Senate will meet again in session on November 15.
Similarly, in the lower house, the members praised President Muhammadu Buhari for the Academic Staff Union of Universities Intervention Fund and the increase in the judiciary’s budget.
However, they questioned and criticized the funding criteria, calling them unrealistic.
The Minority Leader, Ndudi Elimeleu, requested in his proposal that the federal and state governments work together to end the sit-at-home order in the South-East.
