The House of Representatives has approved the request of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for an amendment to the 2022 appropriation act to allow the Federal Government to take N500 billion for palliatives to Nigerians to cushion the pains of subsidy removal.
The lawmakers approved the request during plenary today July 13. The House also approved an additional N319 billion to take care of other needs by the President, bringing the total approval to N819 billion.
Speaking to newsmen after plenary, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, said while N500 billion is meant for palliatives to cushion the effect of recent subsidy removal policy, the House approved N185.236 billion for the Ministry of Works and Housing to alleviate the impact of the severe flooding experienced in the country in 2022 on road infrastructure across the 6 geopolitical zones.
Kalu told newsmen that the sum N19.2 billion was approved by the House for the Ministry of Agriculture to ameliorate the massive destruction to farmlands across the country during the severe flooding experienced last year.
In addition, N35 billion was approved for the National Judicial Council, N10 billion for Federal Capital Territory Administration for critical projects and N70 billion for National Assembly to support the working conditions of new members.
Kalu said the clarification on the approval by the House became necessary because of the different components contained in it, adding that the monies approved are domiciled in different agencies of government.
Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said 12 million families will get N8, 000 over a period of six months to help cushion the economic hardship being faced by all Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy.
The Nation reports that the President stated this in a letter addressed to the House of Representatives read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas during plenary on Tuesday, July 11.
President Tinubu said the money will enable poor and vulnerable Nigerians cope with the cost of meeting basic needs.
The letter was for approval of additional financing for the national social safety net programme scaled up by the National Assembly.
The President said this would have a multiplier effect on about 60 million individuals.
In order to guarantee the credibility of the process, he said digital transfers would be made directly to beneficiaries accounts.
