The president has made cuts on the controversial ‘feeding allowance’ which was presented in the 2012 budget in December, 2012

President Goodluck Jonathan discreetly reversed his administration’s plan to spend more than half a billion naira on assorted armoured utility cars after a bloody protest in January, but only managed to lower a controversial N947 million feeding cost by a meager N90 million, a re-examination of the approved 2012 budget has shown.

The budget, revised once by Mr. Jonathan before a final passage by the National Assembly in April, provides details of how the president responded stealthily to the barrage of criticisms he faced over the proposed expenditures without making public the adjustments.

The anti-fuel subsidy removal demonstrations, in which at least a dozen Nigerians died, had drawn steam, in part from public anger over media exposes that the presidency planned the mega car and food spending.

Weeks after the protest, Mr. Jonathan cautiously overturned the decision to purchase two Mercedes Benz Cars for himself and Vice President Namadi Sambo’s at N280 million, and also stopped the purchase of other utility vehicles totalling N238 million.

The presidency also re-ordered several sub-heads in its budget, lowered the initial costs of purchasing electronic equipment including scanners, photocopiers and printers, and restructured its recurrent expenditure by N2 billion. But the most controversial subhead, the N947 million feeding bill, was only reduced to N857 million.

The amendments are contained in the budget revision which the president re-submitted to the National Assembly in February, in which he made N101b cut on the N4.8 trillion budget earlier presented to the lawmakers. The cuts spread across ministries and departments.

The reductions appear a major win for a public query of government spending, although the presidency’s own adjustments seemed not to have been intended for immediate public knowledge, and even lawmakers may not have spotted them.

John Enoh, the Chairman House of Representatives Appropriation committee, said “if” there were changes in the presidency’s budget during the revision, then it came from the executive as would be expected.

“The budget was later withdrawn by the president and revised. If you notice any difference at that stage, then it came from the executive, but if the difference came after the passage, then it came from the National Assembly,” he told PREMIUM TIMES, when asked if the lawmakers made the changes or prodded the presidency for them in the face of the public controversy.

At the time, the president told the lawmakers the reductions were informed by “the recent domestic developments, key among which are partial withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products and the ripple effect on the government revenue expenditure items.”

But the decision may have as well been driven by public outcry.

In the initial budget, first reported by PREMIUM TIMES in December, 2011, the first and second families planned to spend N477 million for “foodstuffs and catering materials supplies” for the president’s office, while N293 million was to take care of “refreshment and meals” for the president’s office and home.

An extra N45.4 million was to be used for purchasing “kitchen equipment” for the president’s house, while vice president’s “refreshment and meals” was to cost N20.8 million, and kitchen equipment, N45.4 million.

Mr. Sambo’s foodstuffs, catering and material supplies, were estimated at N104 million while cooking fuel was to cost N6.2 million.

For the cars, N280 million was for two Mercedes Benz armoured S-guard, while another N144 million was to be spent on assorted utility vehicles, another N18 million on Toyota Hiace bus, and still another N77million on other cars to be added to the presidential fleet.

In the new budget, all car purchases totalling N518 million were suspended. For the feeding, each subhead received modest reductions with the president’s foodstuff/catering materials receiving the biggest cut of about N50 million while “refreshments and meals” followed with N30 million cut.



http://premiumtimesng.com/mobile/news/5165-jonathan_cuts_feeding_cost_by_n90m.html

ok. . .so where does d "saved" money go to?

Gud, dats d kind of leader we nid in 9ja. A leader dat listens to d masses and put personal interest at bar. Kudos to u GEJ

90 million naira from 1 billion naira Funny president

if he can cut it by at least 50 % which is 500 million naira worth of food every year then we are getting somewhere.

The president and his aids are human as well like us.

well gud move anyway,

I dey laugh... who dem wan decieve. Whoever proposed the buying of N280 exotic cars and ridiculous food plan in the first instance with the current problem Nigeria is facing needs to be executed.

alj harem:

90 million naira from 1 billion naira Funny president

if he can cut it by at least 50 % which is 500 million naira worth of food every year then we are getting somewhere.

The president and his aids are human as well like us.

well gud move anyway,

I dey tell you. Thats 910 million still cooling off in GEJ's kitchen. Its like cutting a little skin off a cow. I dont know whether this administration take Nigerians as fools. Nigerians may be but not all Nigerians are

chiover: Gud, dats d kind of leader we nid In 9ja. A leader dat listens to d masses and put personal interest at bar. Kudos to u GEJ

Are you Beaf in disguise?

Stil an expensive govt. Som pple ar lookin 4 #100 4 a day meal

Jona Jona*in d'banj's voice*.

Why eat like american president when u r presidin over nigeria? We demand more cut on ∂α† sh*t & quit dis silly propaganda!

Is gold part of d ingredient for cooking presidential meals?Is gold part of d ingredient for cooking presidential meals?Is gold part of d ingredient for cooking presidential meals?

Unfortunately this move is cosmetic. The real waste is in the numerous ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals performing duplicating functions and employing an excessive number of lazy, unproductive, corrupt, ill-equipped and under-utilized civil servants, not to talk of ghost workers. Get rid of the waste in the civil service, slash the humongous allowances of ministers, directors and lawmakers, and then we'd be getting somewhere.

mtseeewww

If this is true? I'll say kudos to him,but if isn't ? Make thunder fire their mouth nd stomach IJN.

?

DivideUs: mtseeewww

I thought he supposed to feed himself and his family from the salaries he gets. Everybody else feed themselves from the income they get from their work. So, what does he do with his salries?

Our Ears only heard the trillions,billions and millions buh our Mouth had never tasted!...What a beautiful country

alj harem:

90 million naira from 1 billion naira Funny president

if he can cut it by at least 50 % which is 500 million naira worth of food every year then we are getting somewhere.

The president and his aids are human as well like us.

well gud move anyway,

you speak wisdom,but GEJ is first to make such expenditures public but i also think he has not done enough as a 50% slash on that gluttony of a budget should not even be regarded. Not to talk of the waste of resources of those foreign automobiles...

payless:

I thought he supposed to feed himself and his family from the salaries he gets. Everybody else feed themselves from the income they get from their work. So, what does he do with his salries?

u dey ask me?

tchaik:
Are you Beaf in disguise?

ur myopic bro if nt u shd hav seen n knwn dat no past leader in 9ja has eva listened to d cry of his pipl n cut down a kobo 4rm pesinal purse. GEJ has done so dia4 aprciate him nomata hw litle d cut is .

%50 increase in fuel prices, yet barely 2% cuts to over bloated expenditure.

How does this affect me. They keep talking on paper. We don't feel d effect down here. They can go to hell for all i care. Spending 800mill on food. Rubbish. They will eat n die. Wicked government

Fresh Air

Great for him

chiover: ur myopic bro if nt u shd hav seen n knwn dat no past leader in 9ja has eva listened to d cry of his pipl n cut down a kobo 4rm pesinal purse. GEJ has done so dia4 aprciate him nomata hw litle d cut is .

Anoda retardeen here

From 947million τ̅o 857million aπϑ Your praising d. Idiot

i dnt blame U̶̲̥̅̊ sha U̶̲̥̅̊ dnt knw Your right D̶̲̥̅̊aτ̲̅s Ɣ

in sane soceities of d world, like USA for example,

During his Presidency, Bill Clinton took Air Force one τ̅o his hometown on a family occasion aπϑ was taxed aπϑ queried by congress aπϑ infact, †ЂΞ Jet fuel used was deducted from his salary.

George W Bush, used †ЂΞ presidential helicopter also on an unofficial trip τ̅o his ranch in texas aπϑ paid for †ЂΞ fuel used for †ЂΞ trip as well.

Obama after being voted president was asked τ̅o pay for †ЂΞ food he consumed at a gala D̶̲̥̅̊aτ̲̅ was held in †ЂΞ white house, he was shocked.

in sane soceitties even a president is seen as a ppublic servant aπϑ tax payers money only covers official obligations of †ЂΞ office of †ЂΞ public servant PRESIDENT included.

But is it ​ so​ in nigeria where even †ЂΞ first lady's spending †ЂΞ nation pays for it.

Mtcheeeu!!

chiover: Gud, dats d kind of leader we nid in 9ja. A leader dat listens to d masses and put personal interest at bar. Kudos to u GEJ

. Its peeps like U̶̲̥̅̊ that r d problem. How can U̶̲̥̅̊ commend this rubbish. Even d cost of food for Ūя̲̅ whole village in one year might not get up to 10mill n U̶̲̥̅̊ r busy clapping for someone "eating " over 800mill in one year. I tire for U̶̲̥̅̊ Oº°˚˚°

If GEJ nor be criminal, 100million naira wey ¶ knw suppose reach am feed for ǰUsτ 12months! Haba! Make una sofree dey thief dis money Йą! Shiooooooo

How many did OBJ cut ?

A fool is a person who allows himself to be deceived several times. The difference between we, black and white people is that if you lie to a white man for once, he will never have trust in you. I dont know why some pple here are praising this propaganda considering the antecedents of Jonathan an a president who does opposite of what he tells you. This is man that told us during the fuel subsidy crisis that he would henceforth cut his overseas expenditure and that same night he jetted out of Nigeria to SouthAfrica for ANC Anniversary with two presidential jets and 109 Aids. Last week he went to Addiss Ababa with 82 Aids on National expenses. He said he would cut the ministers budget by 25% but in 2012 budget, the provision for ministers' expenditure is 15% higher than in 2011 budget.
IF YOU ALLOWED YOURSELF TO BE FOOLED, NA YOU SA BI O BUT I CANNOT BE FOOLED.

Thank God for GEJ... He has reduced the budget.. Thats an administration the listens..

Fresh Air is still in the Air and all around us..

We have faith in "In the Boy who had no Shoes, Turned President of the Greatest Black Nation on Earth"..

Keep pushing baba!! One day, "Onu kuru njo g'ekwu mma"..

One Nigeria... God bless Jonathan, God bless Ndi Igbo, God Bless the Niger Delta and no place else!!