By Henry Omunu, Abuja.
House of Representatives on Wednesday declared that the 2019 Appropriation Bill is replete with irreconcilable discrepancies in figures and has resolved to interface with the ministers of finance, budget and national planning as well as the director general of the budget office to sort out the uncovered fundamental errors in figures.
Debate on the money bill has been put off twice due to the same reason of errors in figures discovered in the budget and the need for House members to have enough time to thoroughly study the document so as to make informed contributions.
When the debate eventually commenced yesterday, Rep. Chika Adamu (APC/Niger) observed that proposed allocations to the ministry of finance, ministry of budget and national planning and the budget office under main statutory components do not correspond with the total summary in the document.
Consequently, he asked whether it was expedient for members to proceed with the debate in view of the discrepancies or that they restrict their contributions to the general principles of the budget.
According to Rep. Adamu, the errors in the budget are contained in the schedules detailing statutory transfers and services as well as recurrent expenditure.
He added that “I have issues with major ministries like the Ministry of Education, Finance, the Ministry of Budget and National Planning and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
“When you go to the education ministry, in part C which is the recurrent expenditure which consist of both the personnel cost and overhead, you will realize that the budget is N462.2 billion and when you go to summary of the budget by MDAs, personnel now has N539.6 billion as overhead.
“There’s also another N33.5 billion now making the total recurrent expenditure when you go by the summary of the MDAs has changed to N539 billion and I don’t know why the figure was added at that level.
“In the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, in the part C it is N9.3 billion, however, when you go to summary by MDAs, personnel cost has now becomes N66.21 billion. Then overhead also changed there; it has N832.2 billion, then the total which is personnel and overhead in that aspect has now become N1.49 trillion.
“There’s also change in the capital which is about N655.9 trillion as the total allocation to the ministry of Budget and national Planning. Instead of N9.3 billion, it has now become N2.15 trillion.
“Also, under capital expenditure on page 118, there is what appeared only as the Federation. We don’t have any MDAs called Federation. However, when I continued my research, I realized that federation there means capital component of N31.8 billion but I continued further and realized the Federation is referring to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), so why the Federation?”.
Ruling on the observations, Speaker Yakubu Dogara directed relevant House committees to liaise with the budget office to correct the errors, while the House continues with the debate on the general principles of the budget.
He assured that an error-free budget would be presented Thursday, adding that “even though it is apparent on the surface of the budget, that there are so many irreconcilable differences in the figures as allotted, basically, we are discussing principles of the budget by virtues of the provisions of our rules at this time.
“I am sure we are not concluding debate today (Wednesday), therefore l am directing relevant committees to liaise with the Ministry of Finance and Budget Planning to ensure that we can finish this on Thursday.”
However, speaking to reporters in an interview, House Leader, Rep. Femi Gbabiamila (APC/Lagos) stated that “mathematical errors in figures are things that are normal. At worst, it may reflect some kind of tardiness, but it doesn’t take away the substance and the merit of what we are debating.
