The Senate on Wednesday has passed a total sum of N982,729,695,343 for the 2021 supplementary budget, marking an N87billion increase from the initial proposed budget.
President Muhammadu Buhari had submitted the supplementary budget to the National Assembly two weeks ago, proposing the sum of N895.842,465,917bn in the document.
Buhari, in his explanation stated that the proposed budget would be used to fund the Covid-19 vaccine programme and health-related expenditures for treatment of additional 50,000 patients under the Nigeria Comprehensive AIDS Programme in states.
He had also said that part of the money would be used to procure additional equipment captured in this year’s capital expenditure on Defence and Security to tackle prevalent security challenges across the country.
The Senate during Wednesday’s plenary passed supplementary budget following the adoption of the report tendered by the Committee on Appropriation.
The chairman, Committee on Appropriation, Senator Barau Jibrin, presented the report for adoption.
Speaking, Jibrin, who represents Kano North Senatorial District at the Senate, stated that the increased supplementary budget will make funds available for procurement of military equipment and COVID-19 vaccines among others.
According to him, committee considered the contributions of lawmakers during the debate on the general principles of the bill.
While listing the agencies, Jibrin stated that the Nigerian Navy, Ministry of Police Affairs, Defence Intelligence Agency, Department of State Security Services and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, were grossly underfunded in the supplementary budget.
Further breakdown of the budget indicated that N123,332,174,164 is for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, while the sum of N859, 397,521,179 is for contribution to the development fund for capital expenditure for the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2021.
In his words, “The committee had an engagement with relevant stakeholders and subsequently harmonised its report with that of House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations.
“Consequently, the Committee in line with the harmonised position with the House of Representatives recommended an upward review of funding for some security agencies that were grossly underfunded in the supplementary appropriation bill,” he said.
“The committee hereby recommends authorisation of issuance from the consolidated revenue fund of the federation the aggregate sum of N982 billion.”
