The administration of former President Goodluck
Jonathan has denied reports attributed to the Governor
of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-rufai, that the former
government spent over N64bn on county’s
Independence anniversary celebrations in five years.
The former administration said in a statement on
Sunday by the immediate past Minister/Deputy
Chairman, National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman,
that the administration spent N332.6m on the nation’s
Independence anniversary celebrations from 2012 to
2014.
Sulaiman, who described the claim as tissue of lies,
challenged the Office of the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation to publish the amount
spent on the Independence anniversary ceremonies
from 2012 to 2014.
According to him, the Federal Government under
Jonathan spent N107.6m in 2012; N45m in 2013; and
N180m in 2014.
He added that while the amounts spent on the
anniversary celebrations in 2010 and 2011 were not
immediately available; they were in the same bracket
with the other years.
He explained that there was an increase in the total
sum spent on the celebrations in 2010 because of the
Golden Jubilee celebration, adding that the sum
budgeted was not the outrageous amount quoted by
the governor.
Sulaiman wondered where El-Rufai got the billions,
which he said was spent on the anniversary
celebrations in five years.
The ex-minister stated, “We were taken aback by the
recent comment reportedly credited to His Excellency,
Governor Nasir El-Rufai, where he claimed that the
immediate past President, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan’s administration spent N64bn to cover
the country’s independence anniversary spendings in
five years.
“This tissue of lies was contained on his Facebook
comment on Thursday. Ordinarily, we would have
allowed this to go as just the ranting of a favour-
seeker, but for the sake of ordinary Nigerians, who
were abreast of happenings under the administration
and also those who never did, we will like to set the
record straight.
“It is important to correct the misinformation so that
the unsuspecting public would not be misled. For the
record, a breakdown of our anniversary spending
between 2012 to 2014 amounted to N332.6m. We
challenge the Office of the (Secretary to the)
Government of the Federation to publish these details
for the consumption of the public.
“For the record, a breakdown of our spending for this
event between 2012 and 2104 goes thus: 2012-
N107.6m; 2013-N45m and 2014 had N180m. So, the
question here is where did the billions as claimed by
El-Rufai emanate from?
“Even though, those of 2010 and 2011 are not handy
now, it should be known that they all fall within the
same bracket as the one stated, except that the 2010
anniversary was a golden one when the country
marked her 50 year of independence. But even then,
not such outrageous sum was either budgeted or
expended.
“Again, it is germane to explain the increase in the
2013 anniversary spending for the purpose of
accountability. The National Honours Award Investiture
was incorporated into the celebration, thus making it
two events in one, hence the N174,800,000.00 budget.
“We also want to add that the said award investiture
could not hold in 2013 and the approved budget rolled
over and was utilised to organise the investiture in
2014.”


The administration of former President Goodluck
Jonathan has denied reports attributed to the Governor
of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-rufai, that the former
government spent over N64bn on county’s
Independence anniversary celebrations in five years.
The former administration said in a statement on
Sunday by the immediate past Minister/Deputy
Chairman, National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman,
that the administration spent N332.6m on the nation’s
Independence anniversary celebrations from 2012 to
2014.
Sulaiman, who described the claim as tissue of lies,
challenged the Office of the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation to publish the amount
spent on the Independence anniversary ceremonies
from 2012 to 2014.
According to him, the Federal Government under
Jonathan spent N107.6m in 2012; N45m in 2013; and
N180m in 2014.
He added that while the amounts spent on the
anniversary celebrations in 2010 and 2011 were not
immediately available; they were in the same bracket
with the other years.
He explained that there was an increase in the total
sum spent on the celebrations in 2010 because of the
Golden Jubilee celebration, adding that the sum
budgeted was not the outrageous amount quoted by
the governor.
Sulaiman wondered where El-Rufai got the billions,
which he said was spent on the anniversary
celebrations in five years.
The ex-minister stated, “We were taken aback by the
recent comment reportedly credited to His Excellency,
Governor Nasir El-Rufai, where he claimed that the
immediate past President, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan’s administration spent N64bn to cover
the country’s independence anniversary spendings in
five years.
“This tissue of lies was contained on his Facebook
comment on Thursday. Ordinarily, we would have
allowed this to go as just the ranting of a favour-
seeker, but for the sake of ordinary Nigerians, who
were abreast of happenings under the administration
and also those who never did, we will like to set the
record straight.
“It is important to correct the misinformation so that
the unsuspecting public would not be misled. For the
record, a breakdown of our anniversary spending
between 2012 to 2014 amounted to N332.6m. We
challenge the Office of the (Secretary to the)
Government of the Federation to publish these details
for the consumption of the public.
“For the record, a breakdown of our spending for this
event between 2012 and 2104 goes thus: 2012-
N107.6m; 2013-N45m and 2014 had N180m. So, the
question here is where did the billions as claimed by
El-Rufai emanate from?
“Even though, those of 2010 and 2011 are not handy
now, it should be known that they all fall within the
same bracket as the one stated, except that the 2010
anniversary was a golden one when the country
marked her 50 year of independence. But even then,
not such outrageous sum was either budgeted or
expended.
“Again, it is germane to explain the increase in the
2013 anniversary spending for the purpose of
accountability. The National Honours Award Investiture
was incorporated into the celebration, thus making it
two events in one, hence the N174,800,000.00 budget.
“We also want to add that the said award investiture
could not hold in 2013 and the approved budget rolled
over and was utilised to organise the investiture in
2014.”

www.punchng.com/news/we-didnt-spend-n64bn-on-independence-anniversary-jonathan-administration/

Source

They're are always who the gonna be.... Liars!

Chances are that the figures are true. But I think the minister is being clever by claiming not to have information on 2010/2011 figures, cos that's where they spent outrageous sums.

Quite frankly, I expect the peak expenditure to be that of 2010, and from available information, it may have been under N7billion. So, it doesn't make sense for expenditures of other years to exceed that as purported by El Rufai.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/8032-jonathan-slashes-2010-budget-again-seeks-nass-approval-to-spend-n66bn-for-independence-anniversary-

Amount spent re not hidden facts, We know billions were spent, we saw it