Why we increased 2024 budget by N1.2trn–Akpabio

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has justified an increase in the 2024 budget signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on Monday with an additional N1.2 trillion from the initial N27.5 trillion to N28.7 trillion.

Akpabio who made the clarification while speaking with journalists shortly after Tinubu signed the appropriation bill into law on Monday at the State House in Abuja, said the additional money is meant to take care of security and school feeding programmes across the country.

He stated that in the long run, Nigerians would benefit from the budget as there are verifiable justifications by the national assembly for increasing it.

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“He (President Tinubu) also noted the slight increase in the budget, which was to take care of human capital development and take care of the needs of Nigerians, particularly the school feeding, the security situation in the country and all that and he was happy,” the former Akwa Ibom State governor said.

“Yes, the budget moved from N27 trillion to about N28 point something trillion with very verifiable justifications. We are excited that we are all working in one accord and Nigerians will benefit. So we have returned the country to the January to December budget.

“Ours is to ensure that we make sure that we monitor what goes on to ensure that yes, indeed, wanting to do a budget is one thing and another thing is for the budget to be fully implemented.

“We are very pleased to undertake that. I had said so even in my address and my brother, the honourable speaker can confirm that both chambers had to do a joint sitting collaboratively to even achieve the purpose you are seeing today.”