PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES
Ostensibly in pursuit of his diplomatic shuttle and foreign investment drive across the world, President Muhammadu Buhari is to spend about N2.3 billion on both local and foreign trips in 2022. A detailed breakdown of the budget signed into law on December 31, 2021 released in Abuja to Persecondnews.com shows that Buhari’s international travels will gulp N1.53 billion while his local shuttle within the country will cost the country N77.6 million.
Also, the Office of the Vice-President, N476 million will be spent on foreign trips while N301. 9 million is appropriated for his movements across the country in the new year.
It is revealed that purchase of official vehicles for the Presidency will cost N1.6 billion while foodstuff and catering supplies will cost N301 million.
A striking project is the construction of the Presidential Wing at the State House Medical Centre estimated for N21.9 billion excluding N687 million voted for the Centre.
For Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo’s office and home, N156.6 million is earmarked for feeding and catering services while N20.26 million is for meals and refreshments at his official engagements for the year.
The National Assembly appropriated for its services, projects and salaries N134 billion while the third tier of government—the Judiciary got on paper N120 billion and a whooping N1.14 trillion was given to the Ministry of Defence compared to Education’s N875.9 billion and Labour and Employment – N35.1 billion.
Perseceondnews recalls that the N17.1 trillion budget passed and sent two weeks ago by the Senate and the House of Representatives to the President for his assent.
The lawmakers had approved a total expenditure of N17.1 trillion against the N16.3 trillion presented by the Executive arm of government in October 2021.
More than N700 billion was injected into the budget which drew the ire of Buhari, who queried the “additions and reductions’’ and vowed to return the Appropriation Act to the National Assembly for a review.
The National Assembly also increased the Oil Benchmark Price from $57 to $62. The increase, they said, was to reflect the current market values of the oil barrel in the international market. Nigeria’s daily oil production rate was pegged at 1.86 million per barrel.
In the budget, statutory transfer was put at N869.6 billion, debt service at N3.88 trillion, recurrent (non-debt) expenditure at N6.9 trillion and capital expenditure at N5.46 trillion.
With the president’s assent, the implementation is expected to commence this January for the 2022 fiscal year.
| It is also recalled that in 2021, Buhari and Osinbajo were allocated N3.4 billion for feeding and travels.
The same amount was approved for the offices of the first two citizens of the country in 2020. Both offices received less but still significantly high allocations in the four preceding years. Travels and feeding gulped N1.5 billion in 2019; N1.52 billion in 2018; in 2017, N1.45 billion; and N1.43 billion in 2016. Presidential junketing gulped N2.4 billion, N775.6 million for local trips and N1.7 billion for international journeys. Also in the presidential budget is the purchase of tyres for bullet-proof vehicles, jeeps and other utility and operational vehicles to the tune of N180 million while State House Lagos Liaison Office got N301.3 million in addition to the purchase of a 200KVA sound-proof generator at a cost of N21 million. |
A sum of N174. 17 million was approved for the President’s honorarium and sitting allowance while payment for utilities including electricity, telephone, internet access, water rates and sewage charges for the year is put at N503 million.
Office stationeries/computer consumables, as well as books, newspapers, magazines, printing of documents, drugs and medical supplies for the President’s office, will also gulp N470.4 million.
Replacement of Villa telecoms infrastructure and annual routine maintenance of mechanical /electrical installations of the Presidential Villa will cost N5.5 billion.
Other items are fuel and lubricants – N120.6 million, plant and generator fuel – N30.6 million, cooking gas N22 million, welfare packages – N314.7 million.
Maintenance of office equipment, furniture, buildings, vehicles, generators and other are expected to gulp N402.2 million while N168.2 million was appropriated for stationeries/computer consumables, books, newspapers, magazines, printing of documents, drugs and medical supplies.
Still under the Presidency, N54 billion was given to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) — N31.35 billion, National Agricultural Land development Agency (NALDA) — N 8.96bn and National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).
Specifically, N500 million was approved for the construction of EFCC offices in Benin and Uyo, purchase of computer software/hardware acquisition and software licence –N291 million and plant/generator fuel cost – N230.7 million as well as the agency’s local travels and transport – N700 million and internet access – N30 million.
The anti-graft agency is also expected to spend N126.7 million on petrol for its vehicles for the year.
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