President Muhammad Buhari has written the National Assembly, seeking an amendment to the 2022 budget to accommodate an additional N2.557 trillion to fund subsidy on petrol, as against the N443 billion already appropriated.
The request was contained in a letter dated February 10, 2022, and read by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila at the resumed plenary on Tuesday.
Buhari had signed the N17.1 trillion 2022 budget into law in December 2021 with reservations over some provisions and said the executive will send amendments to the appropriation act to the legislature.
In the proposed amendment, the President said it was imperative to remove all capital projects that were replicated in the 2022 budget, stating that 139 out of the 254 projects in the budget totaling N13.24 billion had been identified for deletion.
He requested the parliament to amend the appropriation act to provide for capital expenditures in the sum of N106.161 billion and N43.870 billion for recurrent expenditures.
Buhari emphasised the need to reinstate four capital projects totaling N1.4 billion in the executive proposal for the federal ministry of water resources and N22.0 billion cut from the provision for the sinking fund to retire mature loans needed to meet government’s obligations under already Issued Bonds.
“As I indicated at the signing of the 2022 Appropriation Act, I forward herewith the proposals for amendment of the 2022 Appropriation Act (as detailed in Schedules I-V), for the kind consideration and approval by the Senate.
“It has become necessary to present this amendment proposal considering the impacts of the recent suspension of the Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) subsidy removal and the adverse implications that some changes made by the National Assembly in the 2022 Appropriation Act could have for the successful implementation of the budget.
“It is important to restore the provisions made for various key capital projects in the 2022 Executive Proposal (see details in Schedule l) that were cut by the National Assembly. This is to ensure that critical ongoing projects that are cardinal to this administration, and those nearing completion, do not suffer a setback due to reduced funding.
“It is equally important to reinstate the N25.81 billion cut from the provision for the Power Sector Reform Programme in order to meet the Federal Government’s commitment under the financing plan agreed with the World Bank, Buhari said in the letter.
He further said, “In addition, it is necessary to reinstate the four capital projects totaling N1.42 billion in the executive proposal for the Federal Ministry of Water Resources that were removed in the 2022 Appropriation Act.
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“Furthermore, there is critical and urgent need to restore the N3 billion cut from the provision made for payment of mostly long outstanding Local Contractors’ Debts and Other Liabilities as part of our strategy to reflate the economy and spur growth (see Schedule I).
“You will agree with me that the inclusion of National Assembly’s expenditures in the Executive Budget negates the principles of separation of powers and financial autonomy of the legislature. It is, therefore, necessary to transfer the National Assembly’s expenditures totaling N16.59 billion in the Service Wide Vote to the National Assembly Statutory Transfer provision (see Schedule l).”
In another letter, Buhari requested the legislature to speedily consider and pass into law Civil Defence, Correctional, Federal Fire and Immigration Services Board Bill, 2022.
The bill seeks to establish the Civil Defence, Correctional, Federal Fire and Immigration Services Board to adequately reflect the current relationship between the board, corps and the services and align the composition structure, functions and practices to attain the mandate of the services.
