Daily Trust

FG to reunite 82 Chibok girls with parents How N/Assembly will spend its N125bn budget

- By Ismail Mudashir & Musa Abdullahi Krishi

Legislator­s passed the 2017 budget yesterday and raised their vote from N115 billion to N125 billion. The legislator­s, for the first time in many years, revealed details of their budget following sustained public pressure.

Senators and members of the House of Representa­tives would spend N11.5bn on travel and transport; refreshmen­t - N1.3bn; legislativ­e activities - N21.4bn; vehicles - N6.6bn and consultanc­y - N5.88bn.

Others are publicity and advertisem­ents - N3bn; fuel and lubricant - N2.1bn and security equipment - N1.5bn.

The passage of the budget came five months after it was presented by

President Muhammadu Buhari. They also raised the total budget from N7.298 trillion to N7.441 trillion, jerking it up by N143 billion.

They raised the proposed oil benchmark from $42.5 to $44.5 per barrels. The proposed exchange rate of N305 to a dollar and 2.2 million barrel per day oil production were maintained by the legislator­s.

In all, the National Assembly would spend N85.8bn on overhead, N14.9bn on capital, and N23.7bn for personnel costs.

The breakdown shows that the Management will spend (Personnel N6.7bn, Overhead N6.1bn and Capital N2bn, total N14.9bn) Senate: Personnel N1.8bn, OverheadN2­5bn and Capital N4.4bn total N31.3bn) House (Personnel N4. 9bn, Overhead N39.6bn, and Capital N4.4bn, total N49bn), National Assembly Service Commission (Personnel N961m, overhead N1.1bn and capital N309m total N2.4bn) and legislativ­e aides (Personnel N8.9bn, Overhead N534m and Capita N150m total N9.6bn).

It further revealed that the Senate Public Account will get N118.9m, House Public Account N142.7m, General services (overhead N11.7bn and capital N816.9m total N12.5bn). Legislativ­e Institute (personnel N416m, overhead N1.2bn and capital N2.7bn total N4.3bn) and Service wide vote N391m.

Highlight of the senate budget showed that N3.77bn has been earmarked for travel and transport. Out of which local travel and transport ( Training) will gulp N498.6m; local travel and transport (others), N715.194m; internatio­nal travel and transport (training) N1.021bn and Internatio­nal travel and transport (others) N1.541bn.

The Upper chamber is to spend N409.9m for refreshmen­t and meals, while the sum of N1.472bn is for publicity and advertisem­ent.

It also earmarked N10.9bn for legislativ­e activities with Public and investigat­ive hearings is getting N4.755bn; senate chamber N549.072m; contingenc­y N1.305bn; senate programme activities N2.630bn; Senate administra­tion N503m and Senate Committee activities will gulp N1.164bn.

Under the purchase of utility vehicles tagged, ‘ongoing projects’ the sum of N2.759bn would be spent while another sum of N1.247bn has been set aside for the purchase of security equipment.

The sum of N578m would be spent on fuel and lubricant, out of which motor vehicles fuel will get N228.7m and other transport equipment fuel, will gulp N183m. The document showed that N424m has been allocated for the purchase of photocopyi­ng machines and other office equipment.

The Senate will also spend N2.55bn on consulting and profession­al services, out of the amount legal services will gulp N1.27bn; Financial consulting N966m and Informatio­n Technology Consulting N320.2m.

As for the House, the document revealed that the total sum of N7.722bn would be expended on general travel and transport. From the amount, local travel and transport (Training) will get N1.128bn; local travel and transport (others) N1.644bn; internatio­nal travel and transport (training) N2.2bn and internatio­nal travel and transport (others) N2.79bn.

The lower chamber will spend N913.2m on refreshmen­t and meals, while the sum of N1.555bn will be spent on publicity, advertisem­ents and live coverage. For legislativ­e activities of the House, the sum of N10.487bn has been earmarked with House chamber activities getting N1bn; House administra­tion N619.5m; House committee activities N3.522bn; Public and investigat­ive hearings N4.34bn; contingenc­y N890.8m and public petition N109.8m.

In this year, the House would spend N3.845bn on purchase of vehicles for committees, presiding and principal officers, clerk and divisional heads. For photocopyi­ng machines and other equipment, N353.3m has been set aside. The security equipment of the House will cost N294.5m this year.

The House will spend N3.335bn on consulting and profession­al services with financial consulting getting N1.464bn; legal services N1.414bn and informatio­n technology consulting N457.5m. On fuel and lubricant, the House will spend N1.555bn this year.

What N/Assembly added to 2017 Budget

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriat­ion, Senator Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe) and his House counterpar­t, Rep Mustapha Bala Dawaki (APC, Kano) while presenting the executive summary separately said with the expected revenue from the increase in oil benchmark, provision has been made for certain items, which resulted in the jerking up of the budget by N143bn.

They said there were provisions for the second Abuja runway, funding of the long abandoned Itakpe-Wari rail line and the Abeokuta airstrip as well as improvemen­t of inland waterways.

The lawmakers listed some of the items to include judgment debts (justice ministry), N10bn; backlog of corps members’ allowances (ministry of youth and sports), N13.06bn; repairs of Abuja airport runway (transport ministry), N5.8bn; increase in personnel cost (18 MDAs), N5.1bn and UNESCO assessed contributi­on (education ministry), N1.2bn.

Others are subscripti­on to shelter Afrique (power, works and housing ministry), N3.6bn; Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (service wide votes), N2.5bn; Amnesty Programme (service wide votes), N10bn; National Identity Management Commission (SGF), N5bn and roads nationwide (power, works and housing ministry), N25bn.

In his remark, the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki said the budget if properly implemente­d would end economic recession in the country.

“I am very proud of what we have been able to achieve and we do hope that this budget of recovery that we believe has reflected equity, it has ensured efficiency and adequate resources to all relevant sectors and will go a long way in helping Nigerians to come out of the economic recession and create growth, “he said.

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 ??  ?? Senate President Bukola Saraki
Senate President Bukola Saraki
 ??  ?? Speaker Yakubu Dogara
Speaker Yakubu Dogara

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