The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, has written to the House of Representatives in a letter dated July 18, 2017, demanding approval for “virement’’ of N135.6 billion to fund some critical projects in the 2017 budget.
The request was read to members of the House by its Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, at plenary on Thursday in Abuja.
Osinbajo in the letter drew the attention of the House to discussions and agreements between the executive and legislature before the 2017 Appropriation Bill was signed into law.
According to the Acting President, the ministries affected by the request include: Power, Works and Housing with a total amount of N46 billion, Transportation in which a total of six budget line items would be affected, amounting to N66 billion, Agriculture and Rural Development, N1,000,000,000 and Interior, with two line items, amounting to N7.7 billion.
The sum of N3.150 billion is applied to be vired in the Federal Ministry of Defence, N770 million in the Ministry of Education, N3,000,000,000, affecting two line items is in the FCTA, N1,000,000,000 in the Ministry of Health Headquarters, and N736 million in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Also, N5 billion is to be moved from Office of the National Security Adviser, N5.01 billion from Ministry of Science and Technology and N5.41 billion from Ministry of Trade and Investment.
Consequently, the letter indicated that N729 million would be sourced from Ministry of Information and Culture, N734 million from Ministry of Communication and Technology and N2.39 billion from Ministry of Water Resources.
It also pointed out that N1 billion would be derived from Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and N241 million from Ministry of Environment.
The letter from the acting president stated that the definite appropriated items to be vired to were contained in schedule 1, while appropriated items from which to vire the amount required were contained in schedule 2.
Mr. Osinbajo, therefore, beckoned on the House to urgently consider the request in order to support joint efforts to advance the well-being of Nigerians.
Mr. Dogara referred the application to the Committee on Appropriation for necessary action.
