There was uproar in the Senate on Wednesday over more than N4.4 trillion strange budget proposal for the Security and Exchange Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation and other 49 agencies.
Already, the National Assembly has passed the federal budget of N4.6 trillion, which is yet to be signed by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Some lawmakers said most of the proposals have already been captured in the N4.695 trillion national budget that was passed by the National Assembly.
However, the Upper Chamber resolved to attend to the budgets of agencies that have not been treated by the Senate.
The drama ensued in the Senate on Thursday as the 2014 Budget proposal of 52 agencies made a surprise appearance in the Order Paper for consideration.
The drama began when the Deputy Senate Leader, Abdul Ningi, read the proposal of the 2014 Budget for consideration on the floor of the Senate.
Many senators were surprised and amazed because the agencies have appeared before their various standing committees apart from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The lawmakers said what they are expecting now is for President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the new budget and begin its implementation.
Senator James Manager said that most of the agencies have appeared before the committees of the Senate, admitting that there are only some isolated cases like that of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Raising a point of order vide Order 26 (6) of the Senate Standing Orders (2011), as amended), Senate spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said that the Senate has dealt with the matter of the 2014 Budget and there is no need to go back to it again.
But the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, informed the lawmakers that the document is from the Budget Office of the Federation of the Federal Ministry of Finance, adding that the documents came with the federal budget.
According to the document, the CBN’s budget is N377 billion, as a hefty N889,738,000 has been allocated as lunch and other allowances for the Police, while another N269,793,000 will go for consultancy fees for the year.
For the NNPC, out of the N3.555 trillion budget for the year, personnel expenses will gulp N184,760,150,000 while N398,359,650,000 is for overheads.
The Corporation will spend N450,044,620,000 on capital expenditure.
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