Handover note reveals how GEJ cut defence budget by N171.47b in 4yrs

The Defence budget has been on a steady decline in the last four years under President Goodluck Jonathan, Ripples has learnt.

A report presented to the Federal Government Transition Committee, headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo, revealed that out of N445.309 billion allocated to the Defence Ministry in the past five years, only about N273.831 billion was actually released for capital and recurrent expenditures.

 Although about N171.478 billion was set aside, it was never released to the ministry, which also has an outstanding liability of N26, 830,532,161.24,including N2,618,509,462.05 and $20,962.96 incurred on capital and overhead expenditures and N24,212,022,699.19 excess commitment on Peace Support operations.

 President Jonathan is expected to officially make the report available to the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja.

 The breakdown of the report shows that the Federal Government budgeted N445.309 billion for the Ministry of Defence between 2011 and 2015. Capital vote has N213.122 billion and overhead (N232.187 billion).

 Only N110.916 billion was released of the N213.122 billion capital votes and N162.915 billion out of the N232.187 billion recurrent budget was released.

 In the report, which reads in part, the Committee said: “There has been consistent decline in both capital and overhead allocations to the defence sector in the past five years (2011-2015) as shown in the table below. In spite of the limited funds, the responsibilities of both the ministry and its agencies are increasing on a daily basis. Mostly with the level of insecurity arising from insurgency in the Northeast, Niger Delta and other flash points.

– Ali Smart

 

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