In a surprising turn of events, the 2024 appropriation bill unveiled by the federal government has sparked discussions around the allocation of funds. Notably, N3 billion has been designated for the procurement of books to enrich the National Assembly library, shedding light on the government's commitment to knowledge enhancement.
Details from the budget further reveal a substantial N12.12 billion earmarked as a take-off grant for the National Assembly library complex, underlining a comprehensive investment in the parliamentary knowledge hub.
However, the spotlight also shines on the transportation domain, as the federal government allocates N3 billion each for the Senate and House of Representatives car park projects. This juxtaposition of allocations for literary enrichment and infrastructural development raises questions about the government's priorities and strategic focus.
In a session on Saturday, both arms of the National Assembly passed the 2024 appropriation bill, increasing its size from the proposed N27.5 trillion by President Bola Tinubu to a robust N28.7 trillion. The budget breakdown includes N1.7 trillion for statutory transfers, N8.7 trillion for recurrent expenditure, and N9.9 trillion for capital expenditure.
Abubakar Bichi, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, clarified that the budget expansion by N1.27 trillion was attributed to government-owned enterprises (GOEs) committing to bolster their revenue in the coming year. This unexpected revenue surge influenced the decision to direct the additional funds towards capital expenditure rather than recurrent expenses.
