Headlines
2022 Budget: Presidency Appropriates N150bn to Self for Trips, Food, Others
The Federal Government has earmarked N150 billion to the presidency in the 2022 budget, including N135 million for meals and N2 billion for international trips.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday presented an appropriation bill of N16.39 trillion – the total expenditure of the federal government in 2022.
According to the budget details, the presidency will receive N91.63bn, N16.25bn, N42,71bn for personnel, overhead costs and capital projects, respectively, totalling N150,590,609,934.
The budget details for the presidency listed 17 items, including budget earmarked for state house headquarters, state house operations — offices of president and vice-president, office of the chief staff to the president, office of the chief security officer to the president and state house medical centre.
Others are state house Lagos liaison office, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission & its centres, office of the chief economic adviser to the president, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) and National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure were listed in the presidency budget details.
A breakdown of the budget proposal shows that N12.31 billion was allocated for the state house headquarters, while N24.83 billion and N1.18 billion were budgeted for the offices of the president and vice-president, respectively.
N2BN FOR BUHARI, OSINBAJO’S OFFICES’ INT’T TRIPS
In the budget proposal, the state house headquarters was earmarked N73 million for international travel and transport while local travel and transport (training) will get N31.4 million. The budget also made provision of N57.7 million for local travel and transport (others).
For the office of the president, N1.53 billion was budgeted for international travel and transport (others), while N775.6 million was earmarked for local travel and transport (others).
For the office of the vice-president, N476.2 million was budgeted for international travel and transport (others) while N301.9 million was earmarked for local travel and transport (others).
The development means that the offices of the president and vice-president gulped N2,009,750,909 in the 2022 budget for international travel.
N135M FOR STATE HOUSE HQ’S REFRESHMENTS AND MEALS
The budget details also show that N135,688,651 was earmarked for the refreshment and meals in the state house headquarters, while N120,699,558 was allocated for fuel and lubricants (general) in the state house.
For the office of the president, N30.6 million was earmarked for refreshment and N301.1 million allocated for foodstuff and catering materials supplies.
For the office of the vice-president, N20.2 million was earmarked for refreshment and meals, while N156.6 million was allocated for foodstuff and catering materials supplies
In the state house budget, N1.9 billion was earmarked for the purchase of fixed assets, out of which N1.6 billion was budgeted for the purchase of motor vehicles.
No allocation was given to purchase motor vehicles for the office of the president but N30.8 million was earmarked for the item in the office of the vice-president.
The construction of the presidential wing at the state house medical centre tagged ongoing was earmarked N21.9 billion.
N687.4M EARMARKED FOR STATE HOUSE MEDICAL CENTRE
In the 2022 budget, the state house medical centre gulped N687,425,876 as total expenditure.
The breakdown of the budget details shows that N355,695,664 was earmarked for capital expenditure.
The details of the capital expenditure show that construction of the dental wing extension in the state house medical clinic and outstanding liabilities on reclamation and earth filling tagged ongoing gulp N30,000,000.
Procurement of medical equipment tagged ongoing to gulp N270,695,664, while N55,000,000 was budgeted for the construction of 2 blocks of 24 units three-bedroom flats at the state house tagged new.
The state house Lagos liaison office would receive N301,391,917 as total expenditure, out of which capital expenditure gulped N206,111,515.
TheCable
Headlines
Abiola Cannot Be Recognised As Former President; He Was Never Sworn-in – Gen Ishola Williams
By Eric Elezuo
One of the prime actors of the June 12, 1993 incidents, General Ishola Williams, has said that much as Chief MKO Abiola wrong was created having won the election, and denied victory, he cannot be recognized as a former President of Nigeria.
Gen Williams made his revelation while speaking as a guest on Channels television socio-political programme, Inside Source.
He maintained that only those who were sworn in that recognised as former presidents, and Abiola was never sworn in.
“Abiola cannot be recognised as former president because he was never sworn in.
The General, who said that he resigned from the army as a result of the wholesome reception given to General Sani Abacha, when he overthrew Chief Ernest Shonekan-led Interim National Government, contrary to expectation, also picked flaws in the narratives given by former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, in his recently launched book, A Journey In Service.
Williams rose in the army to become the Commandant of Army Signals, Commander of Training and Doctrine (TRADOC) and Chief of Defence Training and Planning, from where he resigned.
Headlines
Breaking: Supreme Court Recognises Martin Amaewhule As Rivers Assembly Speaker, Orders CBN to Stop Releasing Funds to State
By Eric Elezuo
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has in its ruling on Friday recognised Hon Martins Amaewhule as the authentic speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, mandating him to urgently resume sitting with elected members of the assembly.
The apex court also ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to stop releasing to the Rivers State government until a proper assembly is constituted.
Details soon…
Tension escalated at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday as impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa made a dramatic return to reclaim his position.
Accompanied by heavily armed men, Obasa stormed the Assembly complex in a bold move that has thrown the State’s legislature into turmoil.
In a stunning turn of events, security details assigned to the substantive Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda, were abruptly withdrawn on Thursday morning, clearing the path for Obasa’s controversial comeback.
Sources revealed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) ordered the withdrawal of all security operatives attached to Meranda, leaving her exposed in the midst of an intensifying power struggle.
The Speaker’s Special Adviser on Information, Mr. Victor Ganzallo, expressed concern over the security vacuum created by the withdrawal of personnel.
“In the early hours of Thursday, we woke up to the startling news that all security details assigned to Madam Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, had been withdrawn.
This includes the police and DSS officers, leaving her exposed to threats amid the ongoing speakership crisis,” Ganzallo stated.
He further called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as the State’s Chief Security Officer, to intervene urgently to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order within the Assembly.
“The withdrawal of security personnel has left the Assembly naked and vulnerable at a critical time. Urgent action is needed to restore order,” he pleaded.
With the speakership battle taking a dramatic new turn, political watchers are keenly observing how the crisis will unfold in the coming days.
