Reps summon Okonjo-Iweala, UsmanFG sacks FAAN, NAMA, NCAT chiefsPRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday submitted a request to the National Assembly for the virement of the 2011 Budget to the tune of N98.44 billion for a total of nine ministries.Virement is the movement of money from one sub-head to another sub-head in the same budget.It does not necessarily mean an increase or decrease but simply a kind of re-adjustment within the budget.In this case, the total amount of money so moved from sub-heads to other sub-heads is N98.44 billion.Also, the House of Representatives has approved a recommendation to summon the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as well as her counterpart in National Planning, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman and the Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Bright Okogu, to explain the reasons for the selective implementation of the 2011 budget.No definite date was given for the trio to appear before the parliament.Besides, a gale of sack yesterday swept through the aviation industry, leading to the retrenchment of the Managing Directors of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Alhaji Usman Auyo, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Richard Aisuebeogun and Rector, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Captain Adebayo Araba.Replacing Auyo in acting capacity is the Director of Engineering and Electronics, Nnamdi Udoh. George Uriesi, a former Director of Operations replaced Aisuebeogun, while Captain Chinyere Kalu, former Head of Flying School took over NCAT.TheChief Press Secretary to the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Joe Obi confirmed the development.Aisuebeogun would have completed his four- year tenure in November this year, while Auyo's four-year tenure was expected to end in 2013.Auyo brought dynamism and stability to the NAMA following unrest and intrigues that trailed the agency.In a letter dated September 27, 2011 and readto lawmakers by House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the President made it clear that certain difficulties in the implementation of the 2011 budget made the request imperative.The ministries for which the increase is being sought are: Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs N33,107,575,020; Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA) N17,067,478,034; Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development N6,374,772,436; Federal Ministry of Education N1,008,054,745; Police Formations and Commands N5,434,005,870; and Federal Ministry of Justice N64,245,818.Others are Federal Ministry of Health N10,001,043,718; Federal Ministry of Aviation N13,523,057,226 and Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing & Urban Development N7,487,536,489; Ministry of Defence (Army) N2, 843, 232, 350; Public Complaint Commission N80, 336, 650; and National Sports Commission, N1, 454, 893, 610.Meanwhile preparations for the 2012 Budget received a boost yesterday as the National Assembly formally got the 2012-2015 Medium Term Fiscal Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) from President Goodluck Jonathan.In a separate letter dated September 22, 2011, the President said the timely approval of MTEF and FSP would facilitate the quick processing of the budget 2012 proposal.'I am pleased to forward herewith for your consideration, the 2012-2015 Medium Term Fiscal Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper and seize this opportunity to express my gratitude for the patriotism, co-operation and steady support of the leadership and all Honourable members of House of Representatives, in our collective efforts to transform the economy of our dear country.'The 2012-2015 Medium Term Fiscal Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) are statutory requirements for submission to the National Assembly under the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007. The MTEF consists of the Medium Term Revenue Framework and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework both of which outlined principal components of the Government's revenue and expenditure plan.Prepared against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty, I firmly believe that the MTEF and FSP will ensure that planned spending is set at prudent and sustainable levels and is consistent with government's overall medium term developmental objectives set out in the Transformation Agenda of the Administration.'It is my hope that the National Assembly will approve the FSP and MTEF expeditiously, in order to bring the ongoing preparation of the 2012 Budget to quick closure.'The decision to summon Okonjo-Iweala and others followed a motion introduced by Representative Patrick Ikhariale, who decried the poor implementation of the nation's capital budget as passed by the House and the resultant consequences.Ikhariale had while presenting the motion on the floor yesterday quoted statistics provided by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government in which he stated that the 2010 budget implementation was less than 40 per cent.According to him, the non-implementation of the 2010 Capital Expenditure Budget by almost 60 per cent has dangerous consequences for a developing economy such as Nigeria.The lawmaker specifically expressed worry that most capital projects that were partially implemented or not implemented at all and were carried over into the 2011 budget had been jettisoned by the Executive which if not addressed, would among other things swell the existing abandoned projects across Nigeria.'We cannot afford to continuously and deliberately waste tax-payers' money in initiating laudable capital projects without executing them thereby retarding the growth and development of our economy as a nation', he said.
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