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
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has placed Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi, on a watchlist, just as the police headquarters in Abuja “ordered the withdrawal of all men attached to his excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello, former executive governor of Kogi state”.
Bello was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on April 18 after his absence from the federal high court in Abuja “stalled his arraignment”.
The anti-graft agency alleges that Bello, alongside Alli Bello, chief of staff to Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi; and one Daudu Suleiman, diverted about N80.2 billion belonging to the Kogi government.
In a statement signed by DS Umar, assistant comptroller of immigration, on behalf of Kemi Nandap, comptroller-general of the NIS, the agency said “the above named person has been placed on watch list”.
“The subject is being prosecuted for breach of trust and money laundering. If seen at any entry or exit point, he should be arrested and referred to the Director of Investigation for further action,” the statement reads.
On April 17, the EFCC ended its siege on Bello’s residence in Abuja after Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, arrived at the house and was later seen leaving with his predecessor.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja, on Thursday, adjourned to April 23, the suit instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello.
The adjournment is for substituted service and possible arraignment of Bello for alleged N84billion money laundering.
At the sitting, counsel for the EFCC, Kemi Phinro, told the court that Bello was absent from court for his arraignment because he was being protected by someone with immunity.
Phinro complained that the former governor was whisked out of his Abuja residence by the same person with immunity.
Phinro said the anti-graft agency might seek the help of the military to fish him out to come face his arraignment.
Responding to this submission, Yahaya Bello through his counsel, Abdulwahab Muhammad, told the court that there is an order of the court restraining the EFCC from arresting or arraigning him.
Muhammad said a Kogi State High Court had on February 9, 2024 restrained the EFCC from arresting or arraigning the former governor.
He added that the EFCC has appealed the ruling and the Court of Appeal was yet to decide on the matter.
He pointed out that the action of the EFCC was unconstitutional and the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain any charge from the EFCC.
Counsel for the EFCC, however, disagreed with the submission of the counsel to Bello.
The EFCC counsel held that the ruling in the substantive matter on the suit was delivered on March 17, 2024 by the Kogi State High Court.
He cleared the air that the court in its ruling held that for the former governor to be arrested or arraigned, the EFCC must first seek leave from the court to do so.
He said it was in line with that judgment that the EFCC, through an exparte application, filed for the order seeking the arrest of the former governor which was granted by the court.
Counsel for Yahaya Bello, however, insisted before the court that the order for the ex-governor’s arrest was made out of jurisdiction. He said the former governor is not a fugitive, but relying on the order of the Kogi State High Court to take protection.
On Wednesday, EFCC operatives stormed Bello’s residence in the Wuse area of Abuja and spent most part of the day attempting to arrest the former governor whom the Commission later confirmed was whisked away by his successor.
The EFCC subsequently warned members of the public that it is a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
The Commission’s spokesperson said that Section 38(2)(a)(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
According to him, culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
“On several occasions, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
“Regrettably, such disposition is being construed as a sign of weakness.
“The Commission, therefore, warns that it will henceforth not tolerate any attempt by any person or organisation to obstruct its operation as such will be met with appropriate punitive actions,” the statement added.
