President Bola Tinubu has requested the National Assembly to authorize N500 billion to allow the federal government to provide palliatives to Nigerians as a result of the elimination of petrol subsidies.

Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter written to the national assembly and read aloud during plenary on Wednesday by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house.

The letter requested an amendment to the supplementary Appropriation Act for 2022.

” I write to the house of reps to approve the amendment of the 2022 supplementary appropriation act in accordance to the attached,” the letter reads.

” The request has become necessarily important to, among other things, source for funds necessary to provide palliatives to mitigate the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy on Nigerians.

“Thus, the sum of N500 billion only has been extracted from the 2022 supplementary act of N819,536,937,815 for the provision of palliatives to cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal.”

The president said he hoped the lawmakers will consider his request “expeditiously”.

i-News Nigeria reported that the Senate earlier called on the President to ensure that the planned Palliatives intended to be put in place to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal are urgently implemented.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, while commending his colleagues on their decision to commend the President on the fuel subsidy removal said, “we commend President Tinubu for the decision to remove fuel subsidy. We are excited for the courage displayed by the President. It was one decision that had to be taken and we are happy that it was taken during the lifetime of the 10th Senate. We are also looking forward to the implementation of the palliatives.”