Senate to convene emergency meeting over N6.6tn Supplementary Budget

The Senate is to convene an emergency plenary to consider President Bola Tinubu’s supplementary appropriation for the 2024 fiscal year.

Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

According to him, other issues bordering on outstanding bills, motions, and constitutional and electoral concerns will be discussed during Thursday’s plenary.

“We hope to deal with issues concerning our further oversight on the appropriations and clear further the hanging issues of constitutional and electoral concerns. And clear outstanding bills and motions, expectedly before our annual recess, later in the year.”

The Senate spokesperson had earlier mentioned that the size of the supplementary budget is N6.6 trillion.

Recall that the House of Representatives and the Senate commenced their recess last week and were to resume on July 2, 2024.

The emergency meeting and supplementary appropriation is coming amid speculation surrounding the purchase of new presidential aircraft. To this end, speculations emerged that the cost of the purchase may be included in the supplementary budget.

But, on Tuesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio dismissed reports that the Senate had approved the purchase of new presidential jets.

Earlier, the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence had recommended the purchase of new aircraft for the President and the Vice-President.

In January, Tinubu signed 2024 Nigeria’s 28.7 trillion budget into law.