President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to present the 2023 supplementary budget and the 2024 Appropriation Bills to the House of Representatives in the coming days, according to Hon Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House. In his welcome address to members upon resumption from a two-month recess, Abbas emphasized the need for lawmakers to work diligently and ensure the speedy consideration of the Appropriation Bills, aiming to address the yearnings of the people.
The speaker acknowledged the economic challenges facing the country, including the cost of living crisis due to high energy costs, soaring food prices, and insufficient livable wages. He urged the organized labour, specifically the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), to reconsider plans for a nationwide strike, considering the government’s efforts to alleviate the current hardships faced by Nigerians.
Abbas emphasized the commitment of the House to ensuring a survival wage for all Nigerian workers, appealing to the NLC to take into account the actions being taken by the federal government to address the economic challenges. He encouraged lawmakers to align their bills, motions, resolutions, and actions with the Legislative Agenda, emphasizing the importance of expeditiously passing the budget to enable implementation from the first day of 2024.
