Abuja, Nigeria
The Senate through its committee on gas has asked President Bola Tinubu to present a 2023 supplementary budget to the National Assembly to kick-start his Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) project.
The committee commended the President for the initiative, however, cautioned the executive arm against extra-budgetary spending.
Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, chair of the committee in a statement, said it would be illegal to spend taxpayers’ money on any project without the approval of the legislature.
The senator said the need for the President to come up with a supplementary budget to enable the government to fund the gas value chain, including the provision for CNG infrastructure and CNG vehicles was important.
According to him, the National Assembly was ready to support the lofty programmes of the administration, adding that a supplementary budget would be most appropriate to address issues of funding, instead of resorting to extra-budgetary spending.
The removal of fuel subsidy has made the Tinubu administration roll out CNG as part of the plans to ease public transportation.
Tinubu in his independence speech on Sunday, said, “We have opened a new chapter in public transportation through the deployment of cheaper, safer CNG buses across the nation. These buses will operate at a fraction of current fuel prices, positively affecting transport fares.
“New CNG conversion kits will start coming in very soon as all hands are on deck to fast track the usually lengthy procurement process.”
He said the federal government was also setting up training facilities and workshops across the nation to train and provide new opportunities for transport operators and entrepreneurs.
