Abuja— The Senate, yesterday, approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to amend the 2016 budget by re-assigning funds initially appropriated for special intervention programme, to address urgent recurrent and capital items. The Senate, however, added N33 billion to the president’s request.

Reinvented by Teads Buhari had in August written the National Assembly, seeking to vire N180.8 billion from N500 billion originally meant for the administration’s special intervention programme to fund capital and recurrent items in various ministries, departments and parastatals. In giving approval, the Senate increased the figure from N180 billion to N213 billion. The House of Representatives had earlier raised its version of the amendment to N208 billion.

Both chambers are expected to harmonise. Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and President Muhammadu Buhari The Senate’s approval, yesterday, followed the presentation of the report on the request by the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Danjuma Goje. The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, noted the unconstitutionality of the president’s request, saying President Buhari should have proposed a supplementary budget, instead of“virement,” which he said was “military terminology.” Regardless, he urged the Senate to approve the request. In his remarks, Senate President Bukola Saraki said the approval underscored the smooth relationship between the Executive and the Legislature. He added that the approval would ensure funding for capital projects especially. In Buhari’s letter covering the request, he highlighted areas for which more funds were needed.

“This request has risen due to a number of reasons, including shortfalls in provisions for personnel costs, inadequate provision ab nitio for some items like the amnesty programme, continuing requirements to sustain the war against insurgency, and depreciation of the naira. “However, considering the fact that the budgeted revenues are running behind target largely due to renewed violence in the Niger Delta, and there are no supplementary revenue sources, the most viable option for now is the virement of appropriated funds from heads and sub-heads that may not be fully utlised before the end of the year.

“The security-related lines in the service wide vote, specifically operations internal for the armed forces (N13bn) and operation Lafiya Dole (N8bn) have been totally released while the Nigerian air force needs about (N12, 708, 367, 476) to cover the foreign exchange differentials in the procurement of its critical capabilities.

“The contingency vote of N12bn has a balance of only N1, 827, 570, 443. It is considered necessary to augment this vote in the light of frequently emerging contingencies.

“Only N20bn (already fully released) was provided in the 2016 budget for the Niger Delta amnesty programme. Consequently, the allowances to ex-militants have only been paid up to May 2016. This is creating a lot of restiveness and compounding the security challenges in the Niger Delta.” He also requested to augment provisions for the NYSC to cater for corps members mobilised for national service this year, and for Unity Schools’ meal subsidy; and the Public Complaints Commission that has owed staff for months.

Progressive01:
Can we see what a useless ttwat we have as our DSP? His the word virement which we all know a "military terminology"??

Ths is the reason why i could NEVER forgive Saraki. I blame him squarely for all this nonsense. How could you delibrately dilute the leadership of the senate simply because you wated to become the head? He should have known the implication of such action.

First rule of war/politics is "never give your enemy/opposition the ammo with which to fight you. Always seek to deflate their strength using whatever legitimate means at your disposal".

Progressive01:
Can we see what a useless ttwat we have as our DSP? His the word virement which we all know a "military terminology"??

Ths is the reason why i could NEVER forgive Saraki. I blame him squarely for all this nonsense. How could you delibrately dilute the leadership of the senate simply because you wated to become the head? He should have known the implication of such action.

First rule of war/politics is "never give your enemy/opposition the ammo with which to fight you. Always seek to deflate their strength using whatever legitimate means at your disposal".

Progressive01:
Can we see what a useless ttwat we have as our DSP? His the word virement which we all know a "military terminology"??

Ths is the reason why i could NEVER forgive Saraki. I blame him squarely for all this nonsense. How could you delibrately dilute the leadership of the senate simply because you wated to become the head? He should have known the implication of such action.

First rule of war/politics is "never give your enemy/opposition the ammo with which to fight you. Always seek to deflate their strength using whatever legitimate means at your disposal".

jarkbauer:
You are wrong Mr Ekweremdu..... Virement means the process of transferring surplus from one financial account to cover a deficit in another and this is exactly what Mr President did. THERE IS NOTHING MILITARY ABOUT IT

jarkbauer:
You are wrong Mr Ekweremdu..... Virement means the process of transferring surplus from one financial account to cover a deficit in another and this is exactly what Mr President did. THERE IS NOTHING MILITARY ABOUT IT

OZAOEKPE:


According to onatisi, " by the time way baba deal with us finish our neck go turn like TOLOTOLO own" hahahaaaaaaa

cktheluckyman:

Go and commit suicide!! DSP Ike Ekweremadu is here to stay!!! BTW even Saraki was not zombies choice of SP either

jarkbauer:
You are wrong Mr Ekweremdu..... Virement means the process of transferring surplus from one financial account to cover a deficit in another and this is exactly what Mr President did. THERE IS NOTHING MILITARY ABOUT IT

Progressive01:
Can we see what a useless ttwat we have as our DSP? His the word virement which we all know a "military terminology"??

Ths is the reason why i could NEVER forgive Saraki. I blame him squarely for all this nonsense. How could you delibrately dilute the leadership of the senate simply because you wated to become the head? He should have known the implication of such action.

First rule of war/politics is "never give your enemy/opposition the ammo with which to fight you. Always seek to deflate their strength using whatever legitimate means at your disposal".



Edit:

All Fayose/FFK/BokoHaram/NDA slaves shall be ignored.

Thanks.

jarkbauer:
You are wrong Mr Ekweremdu..... Virement means the process of transferring surplus from one financial account to cover a deficit in another and this is exactly what Mr President did. THERE IS NOTHING MILITARY ABOUT IT

tuale4u:
that is an awful statement from the man who call himself deputy senate president.
he just disgraced good people of enugu state who voted for him to become senator.

kingwax7007:
I assume u intended to contribute to the subject...

But....


Oh, sorry for thinking too highly of u... how cld u add value to anything, when u have none?

NDPVF:
people like you are only knows
how to read and write but not
intelligent. If you say it is
transferring of surplus ,it means
buhari over budgeted on a certain
list(which is corruption on its own)
!. But a quick look at the article
shows you that the 2016 budget as
a whole is running behind schedule
due to unrest in the creeks. So at
first their isnt any surplus
anywhere. Virement can be likened
to the economic term "scale of
preferrence". They are simply
saying,we are tinkering on some
budget proposals on so so and so
list,to help augment this other list.
Not necessarily due surplus. In
military it means 'withdrawing
some forces from areas and
deploying them to stronger front".
The reason for such withdrawal isnt
because of excess,but shortage of
forces or how strong/raging the
front they are being deployed to is.
Hope i help!

muykem:
I don't expecte this thrash from DSP. I thought he is well educated. You don't need to turn yourself to illiterate before playing opposition role.

Progressive01:
"People like you are only knows.." Very typical. So easy to spot them once they type more than an alphabet.

Such a pity.

kahal29:


Educate the ignorant DSP. He doesn't know it's an accounting term.

tuale4u:
that is an awful statement from the man who call himself deputy senate president.
he just disgraced good people of enugu state who voted for him to become senator.

muykem:
I don't expecte this thrash from DSP. I thought he is well educated. You don't need to turn yourself to illiterate before playing opposition role.