2014 Budget: Presidency to spend N2.3bn on travels

ABUJA—The Presidency plans to spend at least N2.3 billion
on local and international travels and transportation next year.

The proposal is contained in the 2014 appropriation bill
submitted by President Goodluck Jonathan through the
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to the
National Assembly last week.

A breakdown of the figure showed that the State House would
require the sum of N1, 219, 612, 417 for what it called Local
Travels. International travels and transportation will gulp N1,
159, 240, 600.

For the whole year, the Presidency intends to spend N200
million for the provision of foodstuffs/catering supplies while
it also plans to expend another N162,556,500 on meals and
refreshments.

For honorarium and sitting allowances, the Presidency has
budgeted a princely sum of N320 million for that purpose just
as it has set aside the sum of N33.8 million for the office of
the Vice-President to take care of his foodstuffs and catering
supplies as well as meals and refreshments in the year.

Under the arrangement, N23.8 million will go for foodstuffs
and catering supplies while the balance of N10 million will be
spent on meals and refreshments in the office of the second in
command.

In the same vein, the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating
Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is
expected to spend the sum of N568,859,940 on honorarium
and another N51, 403,464 on meals and refreshments within
the fiscal period.

A scrutiny of the budget proposals however showed that the
Presidency shied away from making any provision for the
controversial Security and Exchange Commission, SEC,
whose head, Arunma Oteh, has been embroiled in a ceaseless
war with the National Assembly.

The lawmakers had vowed not to approve any budget for the
commission until Oteh was removed but President Jonathan
ignored them and their resolution.

In the same vein, the Federal Government made the same
yearly provision of N150 billion for the National Assembly
but did not give any breakdown of the sum.

It is not clear if the NASS would be in a hurry to pass the
budget given the furore that attended the presentation of the
document.

Controversy had mounted to the extent that President Jonathan
had to back out of the presentation and later sent the Finance
Minister to represent him.

Via: Vanguard