Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has assented to the 2021 appropriation act recently passed by the National Assembly.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters, Umar El-Yakub disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents on Monday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
“The President has assented to the supplementary appropriation bill which is now an act. The bill was submitted to the National Assembly and they made an expeditious consideration of the bill, which was passed and transmitted in record time and the President has today assented to that bill and of course, it will come into force form today.
“As you are all aware, the bill is targeted at infrastructure in terms of security. It targeted the provision of infrastructure to all the military formations; Defence, Army, Police, Civil Defence etc. All the security outfits in this country will benefit from the bill because of the President’s commitment to combating crimes and indeed insurgency and other security challenges facing the country. So this bill is very important and it has been assented to.
“Another critical area of concern is that of the health sector, which we know with the pandemic there is need to invest in that sector as well and the President having assented to the bill, you find that about ten molecular laboratories would be established nationwide.
“Also, there are oxygen plants that are going to be established nationwide and some rehabilitated especially the ones in Abuja the nation’s capital. There will also be the procurement of vaccines, including the J & J vaccine which is a one-shot vaccine that has been approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).”
The total amount in the appropriation act assented to by the President is N982, 729, 695, 343.
El-Yakub said President Buhari also used the occasion to appreciate the National Assembly for maintaining a harmonious relationship with the executive arm of government, for the benefit of all Nigerians.
He also said the President had earlier in the month given his assent to the Orthopedic Hospitals Management Amendment Bill which now gives approval for the establishment of an orthopaedic hospital in Jos, Plateau State.
PIAK