The Presidency has addressed the observations made by the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, on the 2023 Supplementary Budget.
Taking to a statement via his X handle, Obi said the 2023 supplementary budget did not reflect mostly pressing national needs and emergencies of national welfare.
Obi’s Observations:
Tagged ‘Observations on the Supplementary Budget:
Obi said: A supplementary budget is a budget made for very important national welfare needs of the people which were not captured originally in the main budget, or do not have adequate funding.
Admittedly, some items in the current budget may not have taken into consideration the needs of a new administration, but it is expected that a supplementary budget this late in the financial year should reflect mostly urgent items of national welfare.
Sadly, the most pressing national needs and emergencies have not featured in the supplementary budget that was just announced by the government. For example, the United Nations and World Food Programme have recently alerted that up to 6.5 million Nigerians will go hungry next year. This number is largely from among citizens in Sokoto, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, and Zamfara States.
A caring Government in order to plan for the mitigation of such pending catastrophe can request for supplementary budget provisions to cushion those under threat.No item of urgent social welfare has yet featured in the supplementary budget being orchestrated by this government. Instead, the items being made to dominate public discourse on the budget include a mysterious Presidential Yacht, Presidential Jets, the furnishing of already lavishly furnished presidential quarters and offices, fleets of luxury SUVs etc. This portrays a Government that is totally uncaring and insensitive to the suffering of the majority, and indifferent to the mood of the nation.
The government’s overall attitude does not indicate that it is aware that the country is in a huge crisis, nor is the government in tune with the plight of the generality of our people. Even worse is the fact that most of the funding for these profligate expenditures will be largely borrowed. The least that Nigerians expect from the government at this difficult moment is empathy and realism, not lavish indulgence. -PO
Taking to his own X account, presidential aide, Dada Olusegun, advised Obi to always perform due diligence before critiquing government actions moving forward to establish a credible opposition.
Olusegun said the National Security and Defense received an allocation of N605 billion in the overall budget to fight insecurity and N400 billion was designated for Cash Transfers to Households, aimed at mitigating subsidies’ effects and granting credit access to market women.
The presidential aide stated that N210 billion was earmarked for wage awards for federal government workers and N200 billion was set aside for Agricultural Inputs and Infrastructure, including support for dry season farming beginning next week.
He tweeted: “The National Security and Defense received an allocation of N605 billion in the overall budget.
“An amount of N400 billion was designated for Cash Transfers to Households, aimed at mitigating subsidies’ effects and granting credit access to market women.
“N210 billion was earmarked for wage awards for federal government workers.
“N200 billion was set aside for Agricultural Inputs and Infrastructure, including support for dry season farming beginning next week.
“N300 billion was allocated for the construction of roads and bridges nationwide. N100 billion was dedicated to critical infrastructure projects in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“N10 billion was allocated for student loans, scheduled to commence in January.
“Sir, To establish a credible opposition, it is essential to perform due diligence before critiquing government actions moving forward.”