The National Assembly has approved N70 billion to support the working conditions of new lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives.
The lawmakers made the approval on Thursday during plenary after the N819.5 billion 2022 Supplementary budget was amended.
However, Nigerians have condemned the approval of N70 billion for lawmakers, with many saying that the national assembly is insensitive to the plight of the common man.
But in a chat with reporters on Thursday, the Senate spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, said the N70 billion was not a new allocation because it had been part of the 2022 supplementary budget.
Adaramodu explained that the money was not meant for lawmakers but for the National Assembly as an institution. He said the only new thing in the amended supplementary budget was the N500 billion palliatives for Nigerians.
He said: “It is not a new thing as a budget. When you look at all items there, they were part of the 2022 budgetary provisions, none is new.
“What is new is the N500 billion palliatives, which will be sourced from the budget that is already in existence. So, any other budget or heading that is there which could not be funded very well because of that N500 billion will now be the first line charge in the 2024 budget.
“People always have interest in any National Assembly issue but they forget that the National Assembly is not only about senators and House of Representatives members. It also includes all the staff and the cleaners.
“We cannot give ourselves a salary or allowance; that is not possible. We cannot add or subtract. Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission does that. “When you look at the 2022 budget very well, nothing there is new, except the N500 billion for palliatives.
“Why every other thing must be brought forward is that we must show it in appropriation to make it a law. It is not for any lawmaker.”
The N70 billion allocation for the National Assembly has sparked outrage among Nigerians, who have accused the lawmakers of being selfish and wasteful. Many Nigerians have expressed their dissatisfaction on social media platforms, calling for accountability and transparency in the use of public funds.
Some Nigerians have also questioned the rationale behind the N500 billion palliatives, wondering how it would be distributed and monitored to ensure that it reaches the intended beneficiaries.
The 2022 Supplementary budget was initially proposed by President Bola Tinubu to address some urgent needs in the health and security sectors. However, it was amended by the National Assembly to include other items such as palliatives and constituency projects.
The amended supplementary budget now awaits Tinubu’s assent before it becomes law.
