The Senate has said the National Assembly took into cognisance the suffering of Nigerians in giving accelerated consideration to the N2.17 trillion Supplementary Appropriation Bill.
The Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Ali Ndume, gave this explanation in a chat with newsmen in Abuja, on Saturday.
He explained that passing the budget within 48 hours was a patriotic duty.
The appropriation bill was submitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday and the National Assembly suspended some of its rules to fast-track its passage.
The bill was read for the first and second times and sent to the Appropriations committees of both chambers.
The report of the joint committee was presented, considered and approved within 48 hours.
While explaining what happened, Ndume said, “The increases of prices of fuel, costs of essential services and food items have gone up in the country following the withdrawal of fuel subsidy.
“Workers embarked on strike many times as a result of this and there were negotiations between the organised labour unions and the Federal Government.
“At the end of the negotiations, the Labour and the Federal Government agreed that workers would be paid N35,000 in addition to their minimum wage.
“If N35,000 is paid to each of the over 1.5 million workers, the amount is huge. The money was captured in the supplementary budget.
“There were also agitations among parents of students in tertiary institutions following the increment in the tuition fees and the Federal Government came up with a wonderful idea of giving loans to students in tertiary institutions hence provision of N5.5 billion was made in the supplementary budget for that purpose also.”
