President Muhammadu Buhari has approved N770 billion for the purchase of various platforms and military hardware for the Nigerian Armed forces. The amount is part of the 2021 supplementary budget signed by the president before he travelled to London on Monday. The development comes on the heels of arrival of six Supertucano fighter jets from the United States of America, USA for the Nigerian Airforce.
Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, NAF spokesman, disclosed in a statement last Thursday that “The first batch of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft have arrived Kano, today 22 July 2021 at about 12.34pm. On hand to receive the aircraft were the Honourable Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (Rtd), Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao.”
Speaking on the Supplementary Budget last month the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said the budget contains an aggregate sum of N770.60 billion to further enhance the capacity of the nation’s defence and the security agencies to enable them address current and emerging security challenges in the country.
A total of N983 billion supplementary budget had earlier been passed by the National Assembly which the president assented before he jetted out of the country to attend an education summit. The president will also spend time in London for a ‘medical check-up,’ Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant said in a statement.
Shehu, said in the statement that the president signed the budget in his office at the State House in the presence of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff Ibrahim Gambari, Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze.
According to the presidential spokesman “Of the amount, N123.3 million is for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure while the sum of the N859.3bn is for contribution to the Development Fund for the capital expenditure for the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2021.
“President Buhari commended the National Assembly for the expeditious consideration and approval of the supplementary budget, assuring that the executive arm of government would ensure the timely delivery of capital projects to achieve the laudable objectives of the Budget.
Buhari signed the Orthopedic Hospitals Management Board (Amendment) Act, 2021.
She said “Meanwhile, the President has also, at an earlier date, signed the Orthopedic Hospitals Management Board (Amendment) Act, 2021.
“The Act amends the Orthopedic Hospitals Management Board Act Cap. O10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to provide for the establishment of the Orthopedic Hospital Jos, Plateau State under the control of the Orthopedic Hospitals Management Board affiliated to the Jos Teaching Hospital to provide specialised orthopedic treatment and medical services.”
The Federal Executive Council, FEC had last month approved a draft supplementary budget of N895,842,462,917 for the year 2021.
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