Earmarks N29.871bn for 2021
By Tordue Salem – Abuja
The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Mohammed Abba Umar has urged the federal government to establish special anti-corruption courts for accelerated trial of graft cases.
Mr Umar, made the demand while defending the 2021 budget estimate and presenting the performance of the 2020 budget before the House of Representatives committee on financial crimes.
He also disclosed that N29,861bn has been proposed for the 2021 budget made up of N24.407bn as personnel, N3.600bn overhead, and N1.853bn as capital expenditure.
While listing the challenges of the commission, he said “we need to have special courts to try corruption cases. We also have a lack of personnel and the issue of security of our personnel”
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He explained that the planned recruitment of new staff in 2020 could not be carried out due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
Umar informed the Committee that of the N32.694bn appropriated for the commission in 2020, N24.999bn was personnel cost, N3.600bn overhead, and N4.094bn capital component.
He said as, at end of September 2020, only N25.136bn was released, representing 76.88 percent. “Personnel cost, N21.398bn, overhead cost, N2.100bn, and capital releases, N1.638bn”
The acting chairman further explained that out of the N25.136bn released so far from the N32.694bn appropriation, N18.823bn representing 74.88 percent has been fully utilised.
He said “The sum of N24.999bn was appropriated as the commission’s personnel cost. Out of this figure, the sum of N21.397bn representing 86 percent has been released for payment of salary and allowances of staff on the commission’s payroll between January and September 2020. The sum of N17.603bn has so far been utilized as of the end of September 2020.
“The sum of N3.6bn was appropriated for the commission’s overhead cost. Out of this figure, the aum of N2.1bn representing 58.33 percent has been released as of September 2010 to meet the commission’s overhead expenses. The sum of N1.221bn has so far been utilized as of the end of September 2020.
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“The sum of N4.09bn was appropriated for the commissions capital expenditure. Out of this figure, the sim of N1.638bn, which represents 40 per cent has been released as of the end of September 2020. The procurement process for the 2020 appropriation is ongoing and the fund will be utilized as the procurement process is completed “, he stated.
Earlier, chairman of the House committee on financial crimes, Hon. Isa Dutse commended the EFCC for judicious utilisation of their funds but requested the acting chairman to furnish the committee with details of the capital expenditure.
A member of the committee, Rep. Dachung Musa Bagos (PDP-Plateau) also sought to know why the commission has not been able to create offices in all states of the Federation but still maintains only 15 offices.
