Key members of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, alongside the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, presented a compelling case in defense of the N2.177 trillion supplementary budget before the esteemed House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation.
Amongst those who appeared before the committee were Minister of Works, David Umahi; Minister of Defence, Alhaji Abubakar Badaru; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Alhaji Abubakar Kyari; and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. Also present were Director of the Department of State Service, Yusuf Bichi, and service chiefs, among other dignitaries.
During the budget defense session, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abubakar Bichi, emphasized that the N2,176,791,286,033 Supplementary Appropriation Bill, submitted to the National Assembly earlier this week, was designed to bolster national security, address food security, facilitate road and bridge construction, and tackle the housing deficit in our nation.
Bichi noted that the budget was meticulously crafted to “significantly improve the country’s security apparatus, ensure food security, promote critical road infrastructure projects, and address the housing crisis, including the improvement of slums and urban renewal initiatives.
“The budget will also provide for the payment of salaries to workers and offer cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians. Additionally, it will cater to the upcoming off-cycle elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo States,” he stated.
The lawmaker further delineated the allocation of funds, revealing that out of the proposed sum of N476,543,847,421 for the Ministry of Defence, N215,937,945,659 is designated for recurrent expenditure, while N260,605,901,762 is allocated for capital expenditure.
Of the N200 billion allocated to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, N104.800 billion will be directed towards recurrent expenditure, with N95.200 billion designated for capital investment.
Within the proposed N50 billion for police formations and commands, N29,661,660,269 has been earmarked for recurrent expenditure, while N20,338,339,731 will be utilized for capital expenditure.
Regarding the Office of the National Security Adviser, a total sum of N29,700,606,916 has been proposed, with N27,402,410,057 set aside for recurrent expenditure and N2,298,196,859 allocated for capital expenditure.
Other significant allocations include N100 billion for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), N49,046,831,697 for the Department of State Services (DSS), N28 billion for the State House, N300 billion for the Federal Ministry of Works, N100 billion for the Federal Ministry of Housing, N615 billion for service-wide vote, N210.500 for capital supplementation, and N18 billion for the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
Bichi explained the committee’s process, stating, “We have invited the relevant Ministry, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to defend and provide further clarification on their budget submissions. Upon completion of the hearing, we will collate our analyses and present a comprehensive report to the House.
“I have divided this process into two sections: we will commence with the non-security agencies and subsequently proceed to an executive section to address matters concerning the security agencies,” Bichi added.
Chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Muktar Aliyu Betara, also chimed in, revealing that the Executive sent only N100 billion to the National Assembly out of the N300 billion requested for the FCTA. He further disclosed that the remaining N200 billion would be included and considered in the 2024 budget defense.
