President Muhammadu Buhari’s budget on local and foreign travels, meals and refreshments, sitting allowance, welfare package and office building was bigger than what’s allocated to 14 teaching hospitals, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, said.
This is contained in a suit challenging the president’s action by SERAP, seeking to slash the budget and present a reviewed appropriation bill to the National Assembly, NASS.
The suit was filed last Friday on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms Adelanke Aremo.
“The government would continue to borrow to fund the country’s budget until there is a substantial cut to the cost of governance.
“It is in the public interest to stop the government from spending so much money on these items.
“Persistent borrowing is neither sustainable nor fair to the Nigerian people.
“According to reports, the proposed N26 billion on travels, meals, refreshments and the presidential wing of the State House Clinic is more than the proposed allocations for ongoing and new projects in 14 teaching hospitals combined,” the group said.
The rights group listed some of the health institutions and their budget to include “N19.17 billion is allocated to the following teaching hospitals:
“UNILAG Teaching Hospital—N1.69bn; ABU Teaching Hospital—N2.38bn; University College Hospital, Ibadan—N1.49bn; and UNN Teaching Hospital—N1.38bn,” among others.
No date has been fixed for the hearing.
Meanwhile, in the suit, SERAP is, among other demands, seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Buhari to publish spending details on the State House Medical Centre since May 29, 2015.”
