2014 Budget: Presidency Plans To Spend N2.3bn On Transport

A breakdown of the 2014 appropriation bill
submitted by President Goodluck Jonathan through
the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
has revealed that the presidency plans to spend at
least N2.3 billion on 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.