The budget is meant to boost military operations and
facilitate the procurement of COVID-19 vaccine.
The Nigerian government has earmarked N4.8 billion for
the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to monitor WhatsApp, an encrypted
messaging application, and Thuraya, a satellite telephone.
According to TheCable, the provision is contained in the
supplementary 2021 budget passed by the national assembly.
On Wednesday, the National Assembly approved the sum of
N982 billion as the supplementary budget for 2021. While N123 billion was
approved for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, N895 billion was earmarked for
capital expenditure.
The budget is meant to boost military operations and
facilitate the procurement of COVID-19 vaccine.
The line items of the budget showed that police “commands
and formation” got N33.6 billion for a number of projects, including the
fumigation of 19 training institutes at N200 million.
While N936 million was allocated to the police to
purchase uniforms and kits, N910 million was voted for allowances and salaries
of trainees.
Under the ministry of defence, N1.6 billion was set aside
for “additional 2,700 troops”. The army got N675 million for operation
allowance for the troops.
The Nigeria Air Force got a total sum of N239 billion, of
which N266 million was budgeted for small arms and ammunition, N1.5 billion for
upgrade of barracks “through direct labour” and N84 billion for the payment of
“defence equipment”.
The Department of State Services (DSS) got a total of
N17.5 billion for the purchase of vehicles, arms and upgrading of its six
training institutes across the country, among other line items.
Under health, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS
(NACA) got N1.6 billion for a “treatment programme”.
While N20.6 billion was voted for the “delivery” of
vaccines to every ward/primary health centre, N60.7 billion was earmarked for
purchase of COVID vaccines.
The sum of N6.7 billion was earmarked for the procurement
and installation of oxygen plants nationwide.
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