Acting President requests NASS approval for N135.6 billion

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has asked the National Assembly to approve a transfer proposal of N135.6bn from the 2017 budget.

Osinbajo asked for the total sum of N135,643,018,749 to implement "some critical priority items for which adequate provisions had not been made in the 2017 Appropriation Act."

The Acting President sent a 4-page letter, dated July 18, 2017, addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

Dogara read the letter to his colleagues at plenary on Thursday, July 20, 2017, in Abuja.

In the letter, he said the proposal was in line with an agreement made between the presidency and the National Assembly before the signing of the 2017 Appropriation Bill.

He said, "Prior to the signing (of the 2017 budget) discussions and consultations were held between the Executive and the leadership of the National Assembly on some critical priority items for which adequate provisions had not been made in the 2017 Appropriation Act.

"You would also recall that it was agreed that the Executive should submit a virement proposal to the National Assembly for your consideration. The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to forward the virement proposal."

Ministries that are most affected by the request includes the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education, Federal Capital Territory Administration and Ministry of Health.

According to the details of the proposal, N46,004,049,292 is to be vired within projects of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing while N66 billion is to be vired within projects of the Ministry of Transportation.

Sources of the virements include: N33.247 billion from Ministry of Transportation; N3,181,973,545 from the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing; N14,130,719,780 from Office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation; N5 billion from Office of the National Security Adviser; N5,009,244,926 from the Ministry of Science and Technology and N5,494,065,749 from the Ministry of Trade and Investment.

The sum of N1 billion is also to be vired within projects of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; N7,698,811,674 from the Ministry of Interior and N80,500,000 from the Ministry of Trade and Investment; N3.150 billion from the Ministry of Defense; N770 million from the Ministry of Education; N1.7 billion from Federal Capital Territory Administration and N1.3 billion from the Ministry of Trade and Investment.

Others include: N1 billion from the Ministry of Health; N735,035,00 from office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; N1,093,579,983 from the Ministry of Labour and Employment; N729 million from the Ministry of Information and Culture; N734 million from the Ministry of Communication and Technology; N2,387,541,000 from the Ministry of Eater Resources; N1 billion from the Ministry of Mines and Steels Development; and N241,001,800 from the Ministry of Environment.

The Speaker of the House referred the letter to the Committee on Appropriation to process the request for necessary action.