THE financial report
presented by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation,OSGF, to the House of Representatives, yesterday, indicated that
N280 million allocated for purchase of cars for former Presidents but was
monetised.
Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, disclosed
this in his budget presentation before the House of Representatives.
The SGF equally made a passionate appeal to the lawmakers to
speedily pass the budget, promising them that he would talk to heads of
agencies to avail themselves since this is the year preceding the 2019 general
elections. Giving a breakdown of the 2017 budget and the financial implications
of 2018, the SGF revealed that N40 million was released to former Presidents to
purchase cars out of the N280 million initially budgeted for the purpose. He
said the money in question was monetised for former Presidents to buy cars of
their choice. In addition to the N170 million balance for the procurement of
vehicles, he said additional sum of N96 million was proposed for procurement of
vehicles in the 2018 budget estimates. According to him, the beneficiaries are
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, General Yakubu Gowon (retd),
General Ibrahim Babangida (retd) and General Abubakar Abdulsalami (retd).
Similarly, former vice presidents Atiku Abubakar, Sambo and others to benefit.
Also, from the N210 million proposed for procurement of vehicles for former
vice presidents, N120.090 million has
been released in 2017, while balance of N90 million was proposed in 2018 budget
estimate before the National Assembly. The proposed procurements were part of
the N2.492 billion and N2.492 billion capital expenditure for 2017 and 2018
respectively. Reps query N18.4m purchase of 27 laptop computers While reacting
to the presentation, the lawmakers queried the proposed N18.360 million for
purchase of 27 laptop computers (Mac Book) in 2018; N995,190,118 for purchase
of security equipment; N64 million for purchase of monitoring trucks; N316
million for purchase of motor vehicles; N124 million for four 18-seater buses
and two 30-seater buses. N130 million was also proposed for procurement of two
Land Cruiser Prado Jeeps; N65.551 million for Ambulance & Clinic equipment
while N170 million was proposed for
Independence/Democracy Day celebrations. While responding, Mustapha explained
that the Mac Book was for Council Chamber, considering the volume of work
before them. He explained that other proposed expenditure for 2018 include
N1.734 billion for political officers and standing committee; N760.277 million
honorarium and sitting allowance; N133.421 million for welfare packages; N88.65
million for purchase of office furniture and fittings; N18.36 million for
purchase of computers and N456.64 million for computer software acquisition.
The sum of N65m too was earmarked for the design of a website for the office;
N116.64 million for support/maintenance of e-Council document management; N60
million for upgrade and turn around maintenance of Council Chambers Conference
system; N30 million radio frequency identification device system (RFIC); N35
million for expansion of local area network/OSGF website upgrade and N40
million for socio-economic impact studies challenges/solutions. However, the
2017 budget document showed that of the total sum of N55 million proposed for
upgrading and turn around maintenance of Council Chambers System, the sum of
N54,400,500 has been released, leaving the balance of N599,500 only (98.91%).
From the sum of N35 million proposed for 1 Xerox D125 Heavy Duty Photocopy
Machine to enhance timely production of Council memoranda, the sum of
N34,938,750 was released (99.83%) leaving a balance of N61,250 only. Likewise,
out of the total sum of N20.800 million proposed for the 52No of Mac Book
procured in 2017, the sum of N20.790 million (99.52%) has been released while
from the total sum of N170 million proposed for Independence/Democracy Day
celebration, the sum of N138 million was released.
Culled from Vanguard
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