Senate cuts N35bn from education, power ministries’ budgets to fund 2019 polls

The senate on Wednesday reconsidered its approval of virement and supplementary budget for the conduct of 2019 elections budget solely from the service wide votes.

The upper legislative chamber resolved that contrary to the earlier resolution, the budget of N242.2billion would be funded from service wide votes and 30 ministries, agencies and departments(MDAs)

The resolution followed a motion by Danjuma Goje, chairman senate committee on appropriation.

The senate resolved that half of the amount would be sourced from the MDAs, while the other half would be sourced from the service wide votes.

A breakdown of the amount to be sourced from the MDAs include N25.527 billion from power, works and housing; N12.6 billion from water resources; N11 billion from agriculture and rural development.

Others are N10.238 billion from education, N8 billion from health, N8.9 billion from budget and national planning and N7.5 billion-science and technology.

The senate also cut N6.7 billion from the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), N7 billion from trade and investment ministry and N2.7 billion from labour and employment.