Yesterday, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP Abia South), spoke of how poor budgeting over the years hampered Nigeria’s growth. He cited the approval of N1.4b by GEJ’s administration for the acquisition of computer software for
the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government between 2012 and 2015 when One-time Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim was the occupant.
Abaribe was delivering the 2015 Faculty of Social Sciences Annual Lecture of the University of Benin. The topic was “Our Country, our budget: A critical analysis of Nigerians budgeting system”. He said: “A breakdown of the money appropriated in the last four years indicates that in 2012, N250m was appropriated for software acquisition, yet the sub head appeared again, gulping N100m while the sum of N580m was budgeted for the same expenditure.
I begin with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. What could justify the allocation of N1.223b to that office for welfare packages? The same office also has N367.715m for subscription t professional bodies and N580m for computer software acquisition. Computer software in this case constitutes a veritable sink holes for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) seeking to pillage the treasury.
Still on this office, let’s take time to examine this computer software acquisition. In 2012, N250m was appropriated for software acquisition. In 2013, the subhead appeared again, gulping N100m. Now in 2014, N580m was appropriated for it. What is this computer software that a particular office acquire every year?
Which privately-owned company acquires computer software to the tune of N100m – and more – every year? If you check the budget for every MDA of the FG, you will see identical provisions for computers, software and consumables year in year out.”….. Nigerians r not complaining anyways so pls watch how u take panadol for their headaches…..
