Senate Issues Directive To President Tinubu On Supplementary Budget For CNG Buses

The 10th Senate Committee on Gas has asked President Bola Tinubu to send a supplementary budget to facilitate the procurement of compressed natural gas (CNG) buses for mass transit across the country.

Recall that the federal government during a meeting with labour leaders on Monday, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila agreed to earmark N100 billion for the buses.

The decision was reached as part of the move to stop the planned strike of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

In a statement on Tuesday, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, chair of the Senate gas committee, said it would be illegal for the president to make the procurement of the CNG buses without recourse to the national assembly.

Jarigbe commended the president for the initiative to provide the CNG buses, adding that it would ameliorate the suffering of citizens.

He said, “The law frowns at extra-budgetary spending.

“It will be illegal to spend taxpayers’ money without approval by the national assembly.”

He further stated that it would be appropriate for the federal government to raise the funds through a supplementary budget and not “ways and means”, a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) provision.