In a warning issued on Tuesday, the Nigerian Senate cautioned President Bola Tinubu against unauthorized spending and strongly advised him to pursue a supplementary budget for the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) project. Led by Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe, the Senate’s Committee on Gas urged the executive branch to promptly submit a 2023 Supplementary Budget to the National Assembly, aimed at kick-starting the CNG project.
This request follows closely on the heels of President Bola Tinubu’s recent announcement of measures to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerian citizens. The lawmakers emphasized that extra-budgetary spending goes against established laws.
While commending Tinubu for the commendable CNG initiative, the committee’s chairman cautioned against the illegal use of taxpayers’ funds without approval from the National Assembly. He also stressed the importance of securing funding for other projects within the gas value chain.
The senators further advised against extra-budgetary expenditure through ‘Ways and Means,’ expressing their readiness to support and provide relief to the people. Jarigbe praised Tinubu’s CNG revolution for vehicle fueling and emphasized the need for a supplementary budget to fund the gas value chain, including CNG infrastructure and vehicles. Additionally, he highlighted the necessity of funding workshops and training for CNG adoption.
Jarigbe firmly asserted, “The President should not embark on extra-budgetary expenditure because it would be inconsistent with the provisions of the law.” He affirmed the National Assembly’s commitment, under the leadership of Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio, to support Tinubu’s ambitious programs.
He stated that a 2023 supplementary budget would be the most appropriate approach, as opposed to the controversial ‘Ways and Means’ method employed by the previous administration, which had caused significant contention at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
In his Independence Day speech, President Tinubu vowed to alleviate the hardships faced by Nigerians, particularly in the areas of hunger, poverty, and hardship. He highlighted the deployment of cost-effective and safer CNG buses nationwide, which are expected to positively impact transport fares. Tinubu also mentioned forthcoming CNG conversion kits and the establishment of training facilities and workshops to empower transport operators and entrepreneurs.
