2021 Budget: Buhari seeks NASS’ approval for virement of N276.8bn

The Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday received a formal request from President Muhammadu Buhari seeking the National Assembly’s approval for the virement of N276,757,232,395 to fund expenditures in the 2021 budget.

The request which was contained in a letter dated December 16 was read by the Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila during plenary of both chambers.

According to Buhari, the sum would be sourced from the N365 billion Service Wide Vote for Upscaling of National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

A breakdown of the virement request detailed by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning showed that N199,129,053,400 was for payment of local contractors’ debts, public service wage adjustment for MDAs, SDGs Projects 3 and Group Life Assurance for all MDAs.

In addition, N4,500,821,569 is for Federal Ministry of Education, N2,335,167,265 for Nigeria Airforce; N4,617,811,857 for Ministry of Defence, N25 billion for National Assembly in settling minimum wage arrears of National Assembly Staff and Intervention to settle outstanding liabilities owed local contractors.

Others are N20,038,920,773 for Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA); N762,678,972 for Nigeria Correctional Services; N592 million for Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) as financial assistance for the execution of 2021 End of Year Special Patrol Operation.

Also, the sum of N19,780,778,558 was funding for Federal Medical Centre, Katsina, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital, Zaria; Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto; Lagos University Teaching Hospital; University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu; University of Benin Teaching Hospital and Jos University Teaching Hospital.