In a not-so-surprising turn of events, President Bola Tinubu took the stage in Abuja to sign the 2023 Supplementary Budget, a whopping N2.17 trillion. You might wonder, do we even know where all this money goes? Well, that’s a question for another day.
Just last week, the Senate and the House of Representatives gave a nod to this budget extravaganza after a third reading. It was almost like they were in a rush to get it done, as if the fate of the nation depended on it.
Before the bill’s passage, the Senate embraced the report of the grand gathering of both red and green chambers on the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Bill. They even had Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola as the ringmaster, I mean, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
The bill sailed through both upper and lower chambers faster than a hot knife through butter. Lawmakers assured us it was all for the greater good of the country. So, what’s in this budget, you ask?
Tinubu had penned a letter to the National Assembly, requesting a jaw-dropping N2,176,791,286,033 for the 2023 supplementary budget. Apparently, it’s for labor wage adjustments, security, and other “important stuff.” The President also tossed in the 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for good measure. Just so you know, the Senate tossed in a N819 billion palliative package, probably to keep things interesting.
But wait, there’s more! Tinubu insisted that this supplementary bill was vital for extra palliative measures, including those fancy wage awards. The Federal Executive Council, which the President chairs, gave it the green light on Monday. So there you have it, dear Nigerians, a budget extravaganza that’s both confusing and, well, “beneficial” for the nation. Or so they say.
