OrderPaperToday – President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Senate for virement of the sum of N164,104,792,65 in the 2018 budget to cater for the expenses of the 2019 election.
This was indicated in a letter titled ‘Request for virement and supplementary 2018 budget’ read by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Tuesday.
Buhari said that a total sum of N254,445,322,600 was submitted by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies as expense for the election.
The remaining N78,340,530,535 which mostly deals with personnel allowances, fuelling and other costs should be provided for in their 2019 budget.
The letter reads: “As you are aware, the 2019 general election is scheduled to be conducted early in 2019. To ensure that adequate arrangements are made for free and fair election, it has become necessary to appropriate funds to enable the relevant agencies to commence preparations.
“INEC and the security agencies have accordingly recently submitted their requests and these have been subjected to the usual budget evaluation. The aggregate cost of the election is estimated at N254,445,322,600. However, I am proposing that the sum of N164,104,792,65 be provided for through virement or supplementation of the 2018 budget.
“I propose that the balance of N78,340,530,535 mostly related to personnel allowances, fuelling and other costs not required until election proper be provided in their 2019 budget.”
The breakdown of the expenses sent by INEC and the security agencies are detailed below, INEC (2018 supplementary – N143, 512, 529, 445 and 2019 budget – N45, 695, 015,438) which totals N189, 207, 544, 893.
Office of the National Security Adviser gives a 2018 supplementary of N3, 855, 500, 000 and 2019 budget of 426, 000, 000 totaling N4, 281, 500,000.
DSS provides 2018 supplementary of N2, 903, 638, 000 and 2019 budget – N9,309,644,455 to the tune of N12, 213, 282, 455.
NSCDC also detailed 2018 supplementary as N1, 845, 597, 000 and 2019 budget – N1, 727, 997, 500 with the total – N3, 573, 534, 500.
Nigeria Police gives 2018 supplementary of N11, 457, 417, 432 and 2019 budget – N19, 083, 900, 000 totaling N30, 541, 317, 432, then NIS with 2018 supplementary of N530, 110, 078 and 2019 budget of N2, 098,033, 142 and a total of N2, 628, 143, 320
The total amount of the submitted 2018 supplementary is N164, 104, 792, 065 and 2019 budget is N78, 314, 530, 535.
The president also asked the lawmakers to restore “certain cuts made to certain critical projects provided in the original executive bill.”
“I’m therefore submitting for your consideration the reinstatement of most of the most critical of such cuts totaling N67, 742, 216, 150 which are summarised in page one. The total amount required to be provided for in the 2018 budget for the 2019 general election and to restore the identified critical projects to the amount earlier proposed is therefore N228, 854, 800, 250,” it read.
“Implementing a budget of N9.12 trillion for 2018 is extremely challenging and therefore, I do not consider it expedient to propose a further increase.
“Accordingly, I invite the distinguished senate to consider, in the national interest, relocating some of the funds appropriated for the new projects which were inserted into the 2018 budget proposal totaling N 578, 319, 951, 904 to cover the sum of N228, 854, 800, 205 required as noted above.”
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