CHUKWU DAVID 
The Senate yesterday passed the N2.18 trillion 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Bill. The budget from President Bola Tinubu was presented by the Appropriations Committee Chairman Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Ogun West). Tinubu in his letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio requested that the bill be given expeditious consideration and passage.
Adeola said the commit- tee received inputs from the leadership of the relevant sub-committee and heads of MDAs provided for in the supplementary bill. According to him, they considered the detailed provisions of the bill and inputs received from the heads of the benefiting MDAs and the leadership of the corresponding sub-committee in the Senate.
“The committee has carried out the assignment given in line with urgency required on the basis of which report for final consideration and passage of the bill, will be submitted to the Senate today (Thursday),” he said. The Minister of Housing Ahmed Dangiwa, who defended the N100 billion budgeted for his ministry, explained that the money would be spent on the construction of housing estates.
He said the government would construct 1,000 housing estates in each state, saying governors had been contacted to provide 50 hectares of land for the estates. He also said another 2,000 housing estates would be built in the urban areas in each zone. Dangiwa said: “We will use N50 billion to kick start the construction of the housing estates in the federation.
“The remaining N50 billion will be used to develop slums in different parts of the country.” On his part, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike defended N100 billion provided in the supplementary budget for the FCT out of which N22 billion was earmarked for completion of metro rail.
