From Ndubuisi Orji and Magnus Eze, Abuja

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has written to the House of Representatives seeking for a virement of N135, 643,018,749 in the 2017 budget to enable the government fund its priority projects and programmes in the 2017 fiscal year.

The Acting President’s letter, which was read at yesterday’s plenary by the speaker, Yakubu Dogara indicated that the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and 13 ministries.

Osinbajo, in his letter, explained that the virement was part of the agreement reached between the Presidency and leadership of the National Assembly prior to the signing of the N7.441 trillion into law.

“You will recall that the 2017 Appropriation Bill was signed into law on 12 June 2017. However, prior to the signing discussion and consultations were held between the executive and the leadership of the National Assembly on some critical priority items for which adequate provisions had not been made in the 2017 Appropriation Act.

“It was agreed that the Executive should submit a virement proposal to the National Assembly for consideration. The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to forward the virement proposal.”” the Acting President wrote.

He noted that the sum of N46, 004,049,292 is to be vired in projects within the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, while N66 billion is to be vired within projects of Ministry of Transportation.

According to him, sources of the virements are N33.247 billion from Ministry of Transportation; N3, 181,973,545 from Ministry of Power, Works and Housing; N14, 130,719,780 from Office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation; N5 billion from Office of the National Security Adviser; N5, 009,244,926 from Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and N5, 494,065,749 from Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment.

The Acting President added that the sum of N1 billion is to be vired within projects of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; N7, 698,811,674 from Federal Ministry of Interior and N80, 500,000 from Ministry of Trade and Investment; N3.150 billion from Ministry of Defense; N770 million from Federal Ministry of Education; N1.7 billion from Federal Capital Territory Administration and N1.3 billion from Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment.

Others sources include: N1 billion from Federal Ministry of Health; N735, 035,00 from office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; N1, 093,579,983 from Ministry of Labour and Employment; N729 million from Ministry of Information and Culture; N734 million from Ministry of Communication and Technology; N2, 387,541,000 from Ministry of Eater Resources; N1 billion from Federal Ministry of Mines and Steels Development; N241, 001,800 from Federal Ministry of Environment, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has reiterated call on the Federal Government to publish all the funds recovered from politicians and public office holders and inject it into the economy to help it come out of the current recession.