‘N128m for TVs’, ‘N74m for photocopiers’ — inside customs’ 2020 budget

The senate has passed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) budget of N238 billion for 2020.

The budget was passed after Francis Alimikhena, chairman of the senate on customs, presented a report for consideration.

Alimikhena said N98 billion out of the N238 billion would be spent on personnel cost while N15 billion and N123 billion would be spent on overhead and capital costs respectively.

Details of the budget obtained by TheCable showed that N128 million was earmarked for television sets; N30 million for chairs and tables and N81 million for an unspecified number of shredding machines.

Waste disposal equipment, scanners and power generating sets got N3.1 billion; N21.7 million and N927 million respectively.

A total of N63 million was set aside for the purchase of refrigerators, N173.7 million for safe, file cabinets, cupboards and wall clocks.

While boreholes and other water facilities will gulp N577 million, while N74 million will be spent on photocopiers.

Under the overhead cost for which N15 billion was set aside, the service will spend N20 million on sewage charges – this is aside the N3 billion already earmarked for waste disposal equipment.

The service will spend a sum of N70 million on internet charges and a sum of N10 million on books and newspapers combined.

WHAT DID SENATORS HAVE TO SAY?

Ibikunle Amosun, senator representing Ogun central, said sum earmarked for the purchase of television sets “is normal.”

“If we do not look deeply we will rather be alluding that buying 128 million (worth of) television sets or even 16 billion for vehicles is on the high side,” Amosun said.

“Without prejudice to all that has been said i think this is normal.”

But the figure did not settle with Bala Na’Allah, senator representing Kebbi south.

“What happened to the television sets they have,” he said. “Is it TV they will be watching.”

For James Manager, senator representing Delta south, the report on the budget was not detailed.

However, the budget passed after it was put to a voice vote.