Presidency defends 2012 N 1 billion Food Budget

Permanent Secretary of the Presidency, Mr. Tunji Olaopa defended the N 1 billion food, education and entertainment allocation in the 2012 budget for the Presidency saying, “about the budget of the Presidency, there is some misrepresentation regarding provision for food stuffs, entertainment and all. Permit me to say that the State House is a huge bureaucracy on its own and it is a meeting point for huge arrays for critical stakeholders, both local and international.”

He was responding to queries levied by the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs on the huge provision in the 2012 budget.

Specific queries raised by the committee centered on why N 500 m (N 1.37m/day) was budgeted for foodstuffs alone, and a separate allocation of N 293 million then budgeted for refreshments.

Other issues tabled by the committee is the provision of N 265 million for procurement of computers that had already been provided for in the 2011 budget and N 295 m for furniture.

Senate Committee member, Isa Galadu, said, “The huge allocation for food stuff in a country where 70 per cent live below a dollar and 90 per cent live below two dollars per day is out rightly outrageous. I do not understand why you have allocated N293m for refreshment, apart from the food stuff allocation. The people are correct and they are right to show their anger on this.”

Olaopa further defended the budget by stating that the Presidential allocations had reduced from N 20 billion in 2011 to N 18.3 billion in an attempt to cut expenditure.

3 Comments

1. 

   Dejik8

   January 31, 2012 at 10:49 am

   so nigerians shd clap for you bc u were stealing 20b before but this year u plan to steal 18b on this subhead alone
2. 

   Anonymous

   January 31, 2012 at 12:12 pm

   The reduction is too small . Mr president . i never support corruption and evil. whenever you slip ,i shall attack you .

   This is a crime against your country .
   The budget needs to be reduced drasticaly with about 35%.

   All those unnessessary PA to the PA to the PA  jobs there mUst stop.
3. 

   Anonymous

   January 31, 2012 at 1:34 pm

   WHO TOOK THIS PICTURE .
   SEE MR PESIDENT MOUTH .

   HE WANTS TO SWALLOW THESE BILLIONS AT ALL COST .
   HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!.

   THE PRESS THAT TOOK THIS PARTICULAR PICTURE MUST BE PROMOTED .