N9.8bn not enough to run my office yearly –SGF

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal, says that the sum of N9.8 billion allocated to his office in the 2017 budget is inadequate.

According to him, the fund is grossly inadequate to meet some of the responsibilities of the office.

He made the assertion on Monday, when he appeared before the Senate sub-committee on intergovernmental affairs.

The SGF said of the proposed N9.8 billion for his office in the budget, N3,408,763,591, would be for payment of personnel costs and N3,781,628,226 for overheads, a figure which shows an increase of N2 billion compared to the 2016 appropriation.

According to the Lawal, the amount proposed for overheads would be used for funding the activities and programmes of other offices headed by the permanent secretaries in his office, and activities and programmes of political office holders, such as special advisers and senior special assistants to the president.

Lawal said his office also budgeted N2,692,391,118 for capital projects for the year 2017.

The SGF, also disclosed, that N400 million has been budgeted for the purchase of vehicles for former presidents and heads of state, four years after they were given similar brand new vehicles.

Read also: Ex-NIMASA boss says EFCC induced him to confess to N304m fraud

But reacting on the development, Mr. Peter Oniyinga a budget analyst said the 2017 budget was supposed not to contain any item that has anything to do with luxury.

“An economy under recession should be 60 per cent on capital project , but the 2017 budget does not reflect that. How can Nigeria be budgeting for vehicles and more than 65 per cent on overhead cost and expect recovery of the economy?”

An aide to former Head of State , General Yakuba Governor (rtd), said contrary to impression being created, his former boss was never approached before the vehicle purchase proposal was put in the budget.

Majority of analysts, who commented on the issue said the budget needed to be sieved off some of the luxuries it contains.

The Senate committee chairman, Mohammed Kaura described the SGF meeting with the Senators was aimed at understanding how best to have a better budget in 2017 than the previous ones.

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