THE Senate and the House of Representatives today passed the second reading of the N20.5 trillion 2023 appropriations bill.
The house of representatives submitted the bill to its Committee on Appropriations for further legislative action and expressed displeasure at the increase in recurrent expenditure, which is up from more than 6 trillion naira this year to more than 8 trillion projected for next year.
The Lawmakers contend that Nigeria cannot keep borrowing money to support 1% of its population. The Senate then instructed its committee to report back in four weeks.
Except in cases of emergency, the Senate will reconvene in session again on November 15.
The lawmakers in the lower chamber similarly applauded President Buhari for the Academic Staff Union of Universities Intervention Fund and the expansion of the judiciary’s budget.
However, they questioned and criticized the funding parameters, calling them unrealistic.
The Minority Leader, Ndudi Elimeleu, requested in his submission that the federal and state governments work together to end the sit-at-home order in the South-East.
