THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has estimated the sum of N228,826,003 to fence 101.8 hectares of land in its 2020 budget proposal currently before the National Assembly.
President Muhammadu Buhari had, on Tuesday, October 8, presented N10.33 trillion budget before a joint session of the National Assembly for the 2020 fiscal year.
Of the amount, N30,921,658,070 is allocated for EFCC, which is an increase of over N10 billion over the N20.715 billion appropriated in the current 2019 budget.
Of the total budget, N24,999,305,044 is proposed for total personnel cost; N3,600,713,296 for total overhead, while N28,600,018,340 and N2,321,639,730 are meant for total recurrent and total capital, respectively.
According to its 2020 budget proposal, out of its N2,321,639,730 capital votes, the anti-corruption commission will spend the sum of N24,085,284 for fencing of 50 hectares of land for its proposed EFCC academy annex at Kwandare, Lafia, Nasarawa State.
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The sum of N141,127,926 is proposed for fencing of another 50 hectares of land at Orozo, Nasarawa State meant for EFCC academy.
The commission equally proposed N63,612,793 to fence 1.8 hectares of land meant for its proposes staff quarters at Piwoyi village on the Airport Road in Abuja.
Also proposed for fencing its proposed Benin, Edo State office is a sum of N3,371,940.
The commission proposed to pay compensation of N20,472,492; N24,085,284 and N24,085,284, respectively to locals at Piwoyi village, Orozo village and Kwandare to cover the cost of economic trees, farmland, among others, on the 101.8 hectares of land meant for its academies and staff quarters.
The payment of compensations on the land is, however, ongoing.
EFCC also proposed to procure land for exhibit park at its Maiduguri, Borno State office at the cost of N7,225,585.
It also proposed N12,042,642 for procumbent of land for future development at its Gombe zonal office.
The commission also proposed to spend N115,609,365 to purchase office buildings for its Port Harcourt, Rivers State office.
The sums of N17,408,529 and N11,926,823 were set aside by the commission to construct detention facilities at its Maiduguri and Gombe offices respectively, while N12,890,234 is meant for cell expansion at its Port Harcourt office.
Construction of new office blocks in Enugu, Kano and Uyo will gulp N18,063,964, N18,063,964 and N36,127,926, respectively.
Meanwhile, the commission proposed the sum of N32,644,774 for landscaping of nine zonal offices across the country.
While defending the commission’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year on Tuesday, October 22, EFCC’s acting chairman, Ibrahim Magi, told the Senate Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes that the commission’s capital expenditure budget “is a far cry from the commission’s needs assessment and its strategic plan for 2020 and beyond.”
Magu informed the Senate committee that in a bid to further enhance its capacity, the commission plans to commence the development of the permanent site of its training academy at Kwandare, Lafia, Nasarawa State.
He further stated that the anti-graft agency needed to deploy substantial funds in the take-off of the proposed EFCC Radio, which he informed the commission had secured operation licence for; a complete rehabilitation of the commission’s Lagos Zonal Office at Awolowo Road, Ikoyi; construction of permanent offices in Uyo, Benin, Makurdi and Ilorin zones, where the commission is currently occupying rented properties.