The Federal Government has proposed to spend a total
of N27.7 billion in 2016 on Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies.
The agencies are
Economic and Financial Crime Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and
Other Related Offences Commission and the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Others are the Code of
Conduct Tribunal, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives,
Public Complaint Commission, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Bureau of Public
Procurement and the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation.
PREMIUM TIMES analysis
of the 2016 budget proposal showed that the N27.7 billion budgetary allocation
to the agencies represents 3.1per cent increase, when compared with what was
budgeted for them in 2015.
The nine
anti-corruption agencies were allocated a total of N26.8 billion in 2015 under
the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Among the
anti-corruption agencies, EFCC will receive what appears a hefty N11.2 billion,
which represents 40.5 per cent of the N27.7 billion cumulative allocation to
anti-graft agencies.
About N10.4 billion was
allocated to the EFCC in the 2015 budget under the administration of Mr.
Jonathan.
Mr. Jonathan had,
however, in 2014, budgeted N12.2 billion for the anti-corruption agency. But
the country apparently had more revenue from crude oil sale at the time.
The entire 2016 budget
proposal is N6.08 trillion.
President Buhari said
the 2016 budget was developed around the benchmark price of $38 per barrel of
crude oil and a production estimate of 2.2 million barrels per day.
Another anti-corruption
body, the Fiscal Responsibility Commission will also get more money in its
coffers in 2016, when the budget is eventually approved by the National
Assembly.
The FRC is allocated
N494 million, which is N157million higher than the N336.8 million appropriated
for it in the 2015 budget.
The proposed budget for
the Bureau of Public Procurement in 2016 is N1.4 billion, as against N1billion
in 2015.
The Nigeria Extractive
Industries Transparency Initiatives is expected to get N1.4 billion from the
2016 federal budget. In the 2015 budget, under Mr. Jonathan, N1billion was
allocated to it.
However, President
Buhari has proposed less money for other anti-corruption establishments in his
2016 budget.
The Independent Corrupt
Practices and Other Related Offences Commission’s budget for 2016 fiscal year,
for instance, has been slashed by N292.5 million.
The commission’s budget
for 2016 is N4.6 billion, while that of 2015 was N4.9 billion.
The Code of Conduct
Bureau and the Code of Conduct Tribunal’s budgets for 2016 have also been
slashed by N98.6 million and N22.6 million respectively.
The CCB and CCT are
allocated N2.2 billion and N784.3 million in the 2016 budget proposal, as
against N2.3 billion and N806.9 million allocated to them respectively in 2015
budget.
The Public Complaint
Commission’s budget in 2016 is N2 billion, whereas N2.5 billion was allocated
to it in 2015.
The office of the
Auditor General of the Federation, which is also significant in Nigeria’s fight
against corruption, also has its budgetary allocation for 2016 reduced by
government.
The office will get
N2.9 billion in 2016, compared to the N3.2 billion that was allocated to it in
2015.
Mr. Buhari, who
defeated Mr. Jonathan in the March 28, 2015 general election, won the people’s
hearts through his campaign for ‘change’ and a promise to fight corruption
which has hindered prosperity in Africa’s largest economy.
Six months into the
Buhari administration, the federal government has renewed the fight against
corruption.
The government is
currently investigating how billions of naira meant for the procurement of arms
and ammunition for the war against Boko Haram was allegedly diverted into
personal bank accounts of politicians and other ‘Big men’ in Nigeria.
The president, in his
2016 budget speech said, “We have demonstrated a strong will to fight
corruption.
“I am sure you will
agree that the sheer scale of corruption and impunity of the past explains in
part, the economic challenges we now face.
“On these initiatives,
and the many more to come, we shall not be deterred. We will pursue the
recovery of everything that belongs to the people of Nigeria. No matter where
it is hidden. No matter how long it will take.”
Mr. Buhari said his
administration was working on reducing the personnel cost of the federal
government, so as to have a lean and cost-effective government.
