The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, and Labour Party, LP, among others, were outraged yesterday with the National Assembly for raising the 2024 budget by N1.2 trillion.
Remember that President Bola Tinubu sent a budget proposal of N27.5 trillion to the National Assembly for approval, but lawmakers increased it to N28.78 trillion on Saturday before passing it into law?
Though the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and the chairmen of the appropriation committees of the two arms of the National Assembly, Adeola Solomon (Senate) and Abubabar Bichi (House of Representatives), explained why the increase was necessary, the stakeholders had none of it.
Speaking with journalists after a Christmas homage to President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Lagos yesterday, the speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, assured Nigerians that once President Tinubu signs the 2024 appropriation bill into law, Nigerians should expect a noticeable difference in budget implementation, adding that the N28.78 trillion harmonised budget passed by the National Assembly on Saturday would define Tinubu’s administration as people-centric.
According to him, “after we received the budget proposal, we worked extra hours, no weekends, no breaks; even during Christmas, we had to work to ensure that we’re able to deliver on our promise to Mr President that the budget will be passed before the end of the year.
“It’s a lot of sacrifice put into this work but to God be the glory, we’re able to deliver and we delivered well,” he said.
The speaker noted that the lawmakers meticulously scrutinised every aspect of the budget as it was adjusted from N27.5 trillion presented by the President to N28.78 trillion passed by the House and Senate.
“We expect the budget to deliver because there is no sector that we did not cross-check, scrutinise, and inquire about what is required to have the desired impact on the economy and the people,” he said.
‘’I assure you that by the time the 2024 appropriation is signed into law and we start implementing it, Nigerians will see the difference.
‘’This is a budget that is going to define the Tinubu administration’s commitment to the people of this country. “