The House of Representatives on Thursday approved the request of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for an amendment to the 2022 appropriation act to allow the Federal Government to take N500 billion for palliatives to Nigerians to cushion the pains of subsidy removal.

The House also approved an additional N319 billion to take care of other needs by the President, bringing the total approval to N819 billion.

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who briefed journalists after the plenary, said while N500 billion is meant for palliatives to cushion the effect of recent subsidy removal policy, the House approved N185.236 for the Ministry of Works and Housing to alleviate the impact of the severe flooding experienced in the country in 2022 on road infrastructure across the 6 geopolitical zones.

The sum N19.2 was approved by the House for the Ministry of Agriculture to ameliorate the massive destruction to farmlands across the country during the severe flooding experienced last year.

In addition, N35 billion was approved for the National Judicial Council, N10 billion for Federal Capital Territory Administration for critical projects and N70 billion for National Assembly to support the working conditions of new members.

Kalu said the clarification on the approval by the House became necessary because of the different components contained in it, adding that the monies approved are domiciled in different agencies of government.

Source: The Nation