The Senate, on Wednesday, considered the report of the Committee on Appropriations on the Supplementary Appropriation Bill,2021.
It approved the sum of N982.729 billion.
Investigation revealed that the Senate Committee added the sum of N86,887,229426 Billion to the initial request of N895,842,465,917 sent for approval by President Muhammadu Buhari in his letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Barau Jibrin, justified the upward review on the need to give adequate funding to certain agencies.
“The Senate Committee on Appropriations considered the contributions of members during the debate on the general principles and the detailed provisions of the Bill, engaged with the relevant stakeholder and subsequently harmonised with the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations.
” Consequently, the Committee in line with the harmonised position with its House of Representatives is recommending funding/ an upward review of the funding of some security agencies that were grossly underfunded or not funded or not funded in the supplementary Appropriation Bill like the Nigerian Navy, Ministry of Police Affairs, Defence Intelligence Agency, Department of State Security Services (DSS) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”
Giving a breakdown of the allocation, Senator Jibrin said N123,332,174,164 billion is for Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure; and N859,397,521,179 billion as a contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure.
He further explained that the sum of N45.63 billion required for the COVID-19 vaccine Programme would be sourced through the existing World Bank Loan as well as other Grants.
He disclosed that the balance of N37.93 billion would be sourced from Special Reserve/Levy Accounts comprising: TSA (Foreign currency component) – N25 billion; MOFI CHQ optional – N5 billion; and Foreign Revenue E-Collection – N30 billion; 65 per cent Wheat Floor Levy – N15 billion; 5.15 per cent Wheat Grain Levy – N15 billion; and Rolled-Over Capital (unspent) – N5 billion.
The lawmaker further disclosed that the balance of N722.40 billion which is for capital expenditure on the procurement of additional equipment for the security and capital supplementation would be sourced from new borrowing.
A breakdown of Capital Expenditure for Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government in the supplementary budget shows that N8,500,000,000 was approved for the Ministry of Police Affairs; N22,586,121,511 for Police Formations and Command; N33,673,461,231 for the Defence Headquarter; N207,543,863,993 for the Nigerian Army; N157,780,421,836 – Nigerian Navy; N239,477,882,473 – Nigerian Air Force; N43,326,943,687 – Defence Space Administration; and N16,887,229,426 – Defence Intelligence Agency.
Others include: Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps – N14,822,575,648; Office of the National Security Adviser – N17,000,000,000; Department of State Services – N17,500,000,000; National Intelligence Agency – N4,870,350,000; Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – N3,500,000,000; and National Agency For the Control of AIDS (NACA) – N1,685,000,000.
Under the Federal Ministry of Health, the sum of N2,800,000,00 was approved for the procurement of Molecular Laboratory Equipments to Hospitals (N300m), National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi (N300m), National Eye Centre, Kaduna (N300m), National Fistula Centre, Abakaliki (N300m), National Fistula Hospital, Sokoto (N300m), Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar (N300m), University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (N300m), Federal Medical Centre Asaba Annex Aniocha (N300m) and FMC Nguru (N400m).
In addition, the sum of N6,715,338,874 was approved for the Procurement and Installation of New Oxygen Plants Nationwide and Repairs of Oxygen Plants in FCT Hospitals; and N60,728,332,500 for Vaccines Procurement Cost (Federal Government of Nigeria Funding – $298,500,000 for 29.85 million Johnson & Johnson Vaccines.
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