By Taiwo Adisa
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is to spend the sum of N3 billion to buy lunch and another N7.029 billion on other allowances for its officials at the end of the 2016 Fiscal year, the bank’s 2017 budget already approved by the Committees on Banking in the National Assembly has revealed.
The budget, submitted to the National Assembly in July, had experienced some delays in passage, but a joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on banking and other financial institutions had recommended the approval of a N408.8 billion budget for 2017 in 2016.
Though the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 mandated the CBN and other revenue making agencies to submit their budgets for appropriation by the National Assembly, the apex bank had resisted the process until President Muhammadu Buhari forwarded the budgets of the agencies to the National Assembly in July.
Under the leadership of Mr Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as CBN governor, the bank resisted the attempt to submit its budget to the National Assembly, claiming that the CBN Act indicated that its budget should be approved by the CBN Board.
But the National Assembly had insisted that while Section 6(3) of the CBN Act vested the approval of the budget on the CBN Board, Section 21(3) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 provided that the budget must be transmitted to the National Assembly for appropriation.
Details contained in the budget document also showed that the CBN expected an operating surplus of N12 billion in 2016. While it expects to spend the sum of N408.8 billion, it expects to make a total income of N420.7 billion.
The CBN, according to the approved budget, projected to make N34 billion from interests on foreign investment; the sum of N298.2 billion from interests on domestic investment; another N37 billion on interest on domestic loans and advances and the sum of N50 billion income from operational activities.
A breakdown of the expenses indicated that the apex bank would spend the sum of N80 billion on staff cost and N44 billion on administrative expenses, while operational expenses in general would cost N283.5 billion.
Besides the sum of N3 billion earmarked for lunch, the bank has also earmarked the sum of N9.4 billion for payment of 13th month bonus; another N6 billion for furniture allowance and another N7.9 billion as transportation allowances.
The document also indicated that the apex bank would spend the sum of N2.3 billion on medical allowances and the sum of N641 million as security guards expenses.
Further breakdown of the expenditure profile showed that the CBN would spend N27 billion on currency management and monetary operations ; another N150 billion on liquidity management; N50 billion as contribution to banking sector resolution; N3 billion on development expenses; N8.7 billion on strategic initiative; N40.4 billion on intervention projects and N4 billion as contingencies.
The budget document provided a list of over 60 intervention projects being undertaken by the CBN at the various universities and colleges at the cost of over N40 billion.
Intervention projects include the construction of Centre of Excellence at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus at the cost of N231 million; Centre of Excellence at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria(N530.3 million);Centre of Excellence at University of Ibadan(198.5 million); Hostel Block at NIPSS, Kuru (N676 million); Auditorium building at NIPSS, Kuru (N10.7 million); Construction of Science Laboratory at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (166 million); Centre of Excellence at the University of Lagos(N950 million); Centre of Excellence at Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna (N872 million; Construction of Students’ Hostel at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus(N189 million);Development of Centre of Excellence at the University of Port Harcourt(N1.250 billion); provision of new facilities at Offa Grammar School, Kwara State(N2 billion); Construction of Office/lecture hall at Faculty of Arts, Environmental Sciences and Supply of equipment at the Kaduna State University, Kaduna (N404 million); projects at Administrative Staff College Badagry, Lagos(N1bn) and another project at Federal Medical Centre, Azare, Bauchi State at N800 million, among others.
The CBN also budgeted the sum of N760 million for rebuilding of Nyanya Motor Park, as well as the sum of N3.025 billion as intervention in public infrastructure in military barracks across the six geopolitical zones.
Other big-spending projects of the CBN included intervention projects in the six geopolitical zones put at N8.750 billion; intervention at the University of Abuja at N750 million; a N710 million project at Federal Treasury Academy, Orozo, FCT and another N5.7 billion project called International Convention Centre, Abuja.
http://tribuneonlineng.com/2017-budget-cbn-spend-n10bn-lunch-others/
Dipo Olowookere 
Adedapo Adesanya