Presidency Responds to Peter Obi’s Concerns on 2023 Supplementary Budget

The Presidency has issued a response to the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, regarding his observations on the 2023 Supplementary Budget.

In his statement, Obi expressed his concerns about the budget not adequately addressing pressing national needs and emergencies of national welfare.

Peter Obi’s Concerns

Peter Obi, the LP flagbearer, highlighted several key issues with the 2023 supplementary budget. He noted that it lacked provisions to combat hunger in the country, despite the United Nations and World Food Programme’s recent warnings about a potential food crisis affecting millions of Nigerians.

Additionally, he pointed out the absence of funds for urgent social welfare initiatives, focusing on items like a mysterious Presidential yacht and official vehicles as dominant in public discourse.

Presidential Aide’s Response

In response to Peter Obi’s critique, a presidential aide, Dada Olusegun, took to social media to provide clarification and insights into the budget.

He urged Obi to perform due diligence before critiquing government actions to establish a credible opposition.

Budget Allocations

Dada Olusegun highlighted key allocations within the 2023 Supplementary Budget. Notably, he mentioned that the National Security and Defense received a substantial allocation of N605 billion to address insecurity.

Furthermore, N400 billion was earmarked for Cash Transfers to Households to mitigate the effects of subsidies and provide credit access to market women.

Support for Various Sectors

The presidential aide shed light on allocations for federal government worker wage awards (N210 billion) and support for Agricultural Inputs and Infrastructure, including assistance for dry season farming (N200 billion).

Additionally, N300 billion was designated for the construction of roads and bridges nationwide, while N100 billion was dedicated to critical infrastructure projects in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Conclusion

The response from the Presidency aimed to address Peter Obi’s concerns about the 2023 Supplementary Budget by providing a detailed breakdown of budget allocations.

The exchange highlights the importance of informed discourse and due diligence in critiquing government actions and policies to establish a credible opposition.

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