The Federal Government will spend a total of N3.3bn on past heads of government, ministries, departments and agencies in 2023.
Severance benefits to retired heads of government agencies and parastatals will cost the country N1bn, while the entitlements of former presidents/heads of state and vice-presidents/Chief of General Staff will cost N2.3bn.
The beneficiaries will include former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan; ex-military Heads of State, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Yakubu Gowon; former Vice-Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Namadi Sambo, among others.
This is contained in the 2023 Appropriation Bill passed by the National Assembly, with the total estimates raised from the proposed N20,507,942,180,704 to N21,827,188,747,391, a difference of N1,319,246,566,687.
The 2023 budget is the eighth and the last to be presented by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.); and the last to be passed by the 9th National Assembly.
