Senate approves N11bn capital budget for NPTF

The Senate, on Tuesday, approved the N11billion Capital component of the 2020 budget for the Nigerian Police Trust Fund mandating the management of the Fund to expedite action on implementation of the 2020 budget within the April 2021 deadline.

The resolution of the Senate was sequel to the presentation of the Funds report for adoption and approval of the Senate by the Joint Committee of Senate and House of Representatives on Police Affairs which met with the top Management Officials of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) to consider its year 2020 Budget of N11.3 billion only for the fiscal Year 2020.

The committee led by Senator Dauda Jika had recommended that The budget which is the first for the NPTF also approved the use of money meant for the purchase of utility vehicles for procurement of the COVID-19 protection kits for the police personnel amounting to over N358million.

President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, after the Senate had adopted the harmonized report on the Senate and House of Representatives committees in Police Affairs on the year 2020 budget defence of the Nigerian Police Trust Funds, said the Senate would continue to support initiatives that would better equip the force.

“I want to believe that this is going to help the police to increase their capacity and provide better and improved services to the country, this is one of the benefits of what we have passed here and am sure that the national assembly will continue to support our security agencies for optimal performance.”

Other recommendation approved by the Senate included the approval for the use of N1,533,894,117.70 to procure drugs and medical equipment for the police personnel being amongst the core mandate of the NPTF.

The report also recommended “that the NPTF total projected income was N34,984,314,243.00 but the Joint Committee recommended N11,354,457,101.70 which is the capital component of the Budget and will be terminated on the 30th of April, 2021 while the balance of N23,631,857,141.30 will be carried over to 2021 Budget of the NPTF.

In his contribution to the consideration of the report, Senator Adeola Olamilekan APC (Lagos West), had sought clarity from the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs on why the Sum of N23billion would be rollover to next year wondering if the police were already overfunded from the 0.5 revenues from the federation account and VAT.

He also noted that while the report referred to other sources, it did not state the sources.

“The source of funding include the 0.5 access from the federation account and the 0.5 of the total VAT account, amounting to N34billion.

“In the observation of the Chairman, only the total revenue of the federation account and the total VAT was remitted to the NPTF account.

“That other sources of revenue we do not know what other sources of revenue are. He is silent on this, So, We need to see the other sources, so that we can know the reason, they have refused to abide by the Ac passed by the national assembly.

“Second observation Mr President, the N23billion surplus that was reported here to be carried over to next year, is worrisome because if the total revenue accrued is N34billion and the total corresponding expenditure is N11billion and total excess revenue of N23 billion will be taken over to Nigeria Police Trust Fund they do not need as much as this or there are no activities that the Nigerian police needed funds for to be utilized for this particular purpose.

“I want the chairman to clarify why they are taking an excess of N23billion out of N34billion to the following year. Because that might give room for so many funds to be played around with without judicious application.”

Jika explained that: the other sources of funding of the task force are levy and when the Trust fund approached the Inland revenue service, they were told that they are not in charge of recovering levy.

“That is where we had the problem, once that issue is resolved we will know how to source that fund,” he said.

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Senate approves N11bn capital budget for NPTF

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Nigeria recorded a slight reduction in the number of COVID-19 infections, recoveries and deaths last week, Tribune Online analysis shows. Senate approves N11bn capital budget for NPTF

Last week (February 14 to 20), 5,849 new cases were reported in the country, the lowest in seven weeks.

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