TheNewsGuru

Tag: Proposal

  • [Updated]: Budget: Osinbajo submits N135.6bn virement proposal to NASS

    [Updated]: Budget: Osinbajo submits N135.6bn virement proposal to NASS

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has written to the House of Representatives requesting approval for “virement’’ of N135.6 billion to fund some critical projects in the 2017 budget.

    The request was made in a letter dated July 18, 2017, which was read to members of the House by its Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, at plenary on Thursday in Abuja.

    The acting president drew the attention of the House to discussions and agreements between the executive and legislature before the 2017 Appropriation Bill was signed into law.

    Part of the agreement was that the executive should submit a “virement proposal’’ to move some funds from within the budget to other critical items in the budget.

    Some of the ministries affected by the request are Power, Works and Housing; Transportation, and Agriculture and Rural Development.

    They include Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education, Federal Capital Territory Administration and Ministry of Health.

    Details of the request showed that N46 billion is to be vired within projects of Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and N66 billion within projects of Ministry of Transportation.

    Sources of the virement are N33.25 billion from Ministry of Transportation, N3.18 billion from Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and N14.13 billion from Office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation.

    Also, N5 billion is to be moved from Office of the National Security Adviser, N5.01 billion from Ministry of Science and Technology and N5.41 billion from Ministry of Trade and Investment.

    The sum of N1 billion is to be collected within projects of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, N7.70 billion from Ministry of Interior and N80.50 million within Ministry of Trade and Investment.

    Similarly, N3.15 billion is to be sourced from Ministry of Defence, N770 million from Ministry of Education, N1.7 billion from Federal Capital Territory Administration and N1.3 billion from Ministry of Trade and Investment.

    Ministry of Health is expected to release N1 billion, N735.04 million from office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and N1.09 billion from Ministry of Labour and Employment.
    Accordingly, the letter indicated that N729 million would be sourced from Ministry of Information and Culture, N734 million from Ministry of Communication and Technology and N2.39 billion from Ministry of Water Resources.

    It also indicated that N1 billion would be derived from Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and N241 million from Ministry of Environment.

    The communication from the acting president stated that the specific appropriated items to be vired to were contained in schedule 1, while appropriated items from which to vire the amount required were contained in schedule 2.

    Osinbajo, therefore, called on the House to urgently consider the request in order to support collective efforts to improve the well-being of Nigerians.

    Dogara referred the request to the Committee on Appropriation for necessary action.

  • Budget defence: Senate uncovers fresh N2bn in Fashola’s proposal

    Budget defence: Senate uncovers fresh N2bn in Fashola’s proposal

    The Senate on Tuesday was thrown into a mild drama session as the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola could not explain how an additional N2bn came about in his ministry’s budget proposal.

    However, Fashola denied knowledge of the N2bn allocated to Regional Housing Scheme in the 2017 budget proposal of the ministry.

    The minister, who appeared before the committee to defend the proposal, referred the lawmakers to the Ministry of Finance for information on the controversial item.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the item was labeled FMOW99934089.

    “I know as much of it as you do,” Fashola told members of the committee.

    He further noted that he had no knowledge on the N2bn allocation as it was discovered in the proposal after it was worked upon by the Ministry of Finance.

    The Chairman of the committee, Senator Barnabas Gemade, requested that the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, be invited to explain the insertion of the allocation.

    The following conversation ensued between Fashola and Gemade during the budget defence:

    Gemade: Finally, what is this provision of N2bn for regional housing scheme? What is regional housing scheme? Where is it taking place? What is happening? Have you seen it on Page 18?

    Fashola: It is not our project. It came in from, I think, the Budget (Office). It is a Ministry of Finance initiative; saying that they want to do what they called ‘family homes’. It is not from us.

    Gemade: Yes, but they have put it here; otherwise, we will not be in the position to accept it.

    Fashola: I know as much of it as you do sir.

    Gemade: But you are here to defend this budget in totality.

    Fashola: That is why I have come. I am explaining to you now, sir, on how it came into our budget. That is not what we submitted. We didn’t submit that proposal.

    Gemade: So, will the ministry be kind enough to tell the people who put this in this budget to come forward and let us know?

    Fashola: Please.

    Gemade: Let us know what is regional housing programme because government cannot be operated in secrecy.

    Fashola: I think the committee, if you permit me to bring this suggestion…

    Gemade: …should invite them?

    Fashola: Yes, sir.

    Gemade: But you know the people; we don’t know them.

    Fashola: No, sir. We just said finance sir.

    Gemade: Finance ministry?

    Fashola: Yes sir.

    Gemade: We will write to the minister.

    Fashola: Please do sir.

    Gemade: (Pointing to the committee’s secretariat) Write to the minister: We have seen this line, which costs N2bn. Let them send information here for us to know what it is all about.

  • Toke Makinwa ‘Embraces’ Sensei Uche’s proposal

    Popular media personality and author, Toke Makinwa has responded to a post written by On Air Personality, Sensei Uche. In his post, Sensei declared his love for Toke asking her to marry him

    Toke replied saying ‘yes’ to the proposal.

    Hear her: “Oh wow!!!!! Where’s the ?????? thank you so much @senseiuche I am humbled so YASSSSSS!!!! Let the planning begin.”

    No one knows if both of them are pulling a joke on us or it is another PR stunt. Only time will tell.