FG Delivered Palliatives To States, FCT, Except Rivers- Humanitarian Minister
By Kassim Omomia
Honorable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq , has absolved the Federal Government of hoarding palliatives following recent looting of Warehouses suspected to be housing foods, grains and other essentials that were to shared to vulnerable persons by states, local government council’s and in some cases top politicians
Hajiya Farouq disclosed at a budget defence meeting that her Ministry distributed all palliatives to all the states, except Rivers
“We have distributed all palliatives to all the states. Customs, strategic grains all distributed. We handed over to all the states Governors and FCT, except Rivers.” she noted
She stated also that at no point was she given cash to distribute as palliatives, adding that what was given as cash was from an existing Programme.
“I am not giving cash, the cash we gave was an existing Programme. We have not distributed cash in the name of palliatives. Cash transfer Programme during COVID-19 was as approved by the President and not a mandate of my ministry”, she reiterated
She disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHADMSD) was created in 2019 with the mandate to develop humanitarian policies, and provide effective coordination of national and international humanitarian interventions; ensure strategic disaster mitigation, preparedness and response; and manage the formulation and implementation of fair focused social inclusion and protection programmes in Nigeria.
The Ministry has five agencies and two programme offices under its supervision: i) National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), ii) National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), iii) National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), iv) North East Development Commission and the National Commission for Persons with Disability while the programme offices are i) National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) and ii) Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).
2020 BUDGET PERFORMANCE OF THE MINISTRY
On 2020 Budget performance, she explained that the sum of N4,034,459,460.00 (Four Billion, Thirty-Four Million, Four Hundred and Fifty-Nine Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty Naira) allocated to the Ministry in the 2020 Appropriation was revised downward to N3,125,054,083 (Three Billion, One Twenty-Five Million, Fifty-Four Thousand, Eighty-Three Naira), representing a reduction of 22.54%.
This revised budget comprises a total recurrent expenditure of N342,087,385.00 (Three Hundred and Forty-Two Million, Eighty-Seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighty-Five Naira) and a total capital allocation of N2,782,966,698.00 (Two Billion, Seven Hundred and Eighty-Two Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Six Thousand, Six Hundred and Ninety-Eight Naira). She said
According to her , the Ministry was also allocated the sum of N551,416,000.00 (Five hundred and Fifty-One Million, Four Hundred and Sixteen Thousand Naira) for Covid-19 interventions as contained in the 2020 Appropriation (Repeal and Enactment) Act. However, this is from the existing budgetary allocation in the Ministry’s 2020 budget.
On BUDGET RELEASES, she said the sum of N227,432,126.48 (Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven Million, Four Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand, One Hundred and Twenty-Six Naira, forty-Eight Kobo) was released for overhead expenditure while an additional sum of N692,000,000.00 (Six Ninety-Two Million) was received as take-off grant for the Ministry in 2020.
The sum of N990,067,349.00 (Nine Hundred and Ninety Million, Sixty-Seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Forty-Nine Naira) was released for capital expenditure for the period under review.
UTILIZATION OF BUDGET RELEASES:
The total sum of N134,453,735.25 (One Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Four Hundred and Fifty-Three Thousand, Seven-Hundred and Thirty-Five Naira, Twenty-Five Kobo) or 59.12% of the total amount released for overhead cost was utilized during the year out of the sum of N227,432,126.48 received.
Over 72% of take-off grant released in 2020 or the sum of N499,956,441.15 (Four Hundred and Ninety-Nine Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand, Four Hundred Forty-One Naira, Fifteen Kobo) was utilized for office partitioning, furnishing, and purchase of ICT equipment and software.
Only 14.86% of the total capital releases or the sum of N147,099,801.75 (One Hundred and Forty-Seven Million, Ninety-Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and One Naira) was utilized to finance capital projects of the Ministry. This was occasioned by the late release of the capital allocation and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, procurement processes are ongoing to ensure full utilization.
The sum of N321,426,582.49 (Three Hundred and Twenty-One Million, Four Hundred and Twenty-Six Thousand, Five Hundred and Eighty-Two Naira) or 58.29% of total allocation for Covid-19 intervention was utilized for this year.
She also gave a summary of 2021 Budget estimate of a total sum of N4,038,950,383.00 (Four Billion, Thirty-Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighty-Three Naira) is proposed for the Ministry HQ.
She stated that the Ministry has an allocation of N296,555,226.00 for personnel cost for the first time while the allocation for overhead cost (N499,975,000.00) in 2020 remained unchanged.
“The proposed allocation for capital expenditure of the Ministry in 2021 was reduced by 8.26% of the allocation in the 2020 Appropriation Act. The sum of N3,242,420,157.00 has thus been proposed.
Details are as provided in the presentation earlier submitted to the committee.
The Minister however, appealed to the committee for cooperation and support to enable it deliver on its mandate
