•frown at presentation of anticipatory funds as 97.3 budget releases
•NPC to spend N70m on amendment of Act, prosecution of objections to 2006 census results
The House of Representatives on Monday expressed grave concern over the readiness of the National Population Commission (NPC) to conduct the population and housing census across the country.
The lawmakers who spoke during the review of the 2024 Appropriation Act, frowned at the discrepancies in the documents on 2024 budget performance submitted to the Committee chaired by Hon. Jimi Odimayo.
As stipulated in the document titled: ‘2023 census strategy and implementation plan’, presented to the Committee, a whooping sum of N841,965,679,576.86 was budgeted for the 2023 population and housing census covering pre-enumeration, actual enumeration and the post enumeration activities.
According to the Commission’s 2024 Appropriation of N12,769,762,343, the sum of N1,127,902,865 was for capital expenditure, N818,928,272 while N10,822,931,206 was approved for Personnel cost.
While giving details on the performance of the N1.128 billion approved for capital expenditure, NPC Chairman, Hon. Nasiru Isa Kwara disclosed that the sum of N1,098,361,268.70 was released and fully utilized (representing 97.38 per cent released to date), leaving the balance of N29,541,596.
Trouble however started when Hon. Okey Onuakalusi noted that the supplementary budget approved for the Commission between 2023/2024 is still a subject of investigation which necessitated the Committee visit to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
He also queried the NPC Chairman for misleading the Committee by presenting a 97.38 per cent budget performance on Capital Expenditure for the anticipatory release.
Worried by the development, Onuakalusi said: “What you told us here is anticipatory funds. So if they’re anticipatory funds based on budget performance, it means that they are subject to query because you’re claiming 97.3 per cent.
“And I know from the fact that many of the percentages here are anticipatory funds, now if it’s anticipatory funds, how are we sure that the budget performance given to us is correct? Because they don’t act on anticipatory funds and expect results. That’s why it’s important that you establish what percentage of the money you have gotten. Is it 40 percent, is it 60 percent?”
Meanwhile, the Commission proposed N18.28 billion for capital expenditure in 2025, N1.17 billion as Overhead and N17.76 billion as Personnel cost but the lawmakers carpet the NPC for what they call an ‘abysmally low’ capital expenditure proposal.
From the total sum of N18,277,594,693 proposed as capital expenditure for 2025, the Commission is to spend N1.100 billion on the national population and housing census; N4 billion on the purchase of official vehicles for HFCs; N12 billion on the construction of permanent office buildings; and N350 million on the expansion of registration centres and registration of birth and death, Ad-hoc registration, etc.
The Commission also proposed N40 million for census research, documentation and archiving (research on historical events, special populations e.g herdsmen, fishermen, homeless persons, migrant farmers, etc); N70 million on amendment of if National Population Commission Act, prosecution of objections to 2006 census results; N90 million onthe commemoration of world population day/annual population census day; N35 million on the generation of statistics for internal and international migration in Nigeria; N50 million on budget preparation and implementation, verification of fixed assets, updating fixed assets register and other financial documentation in line with IPSAS Accrual Accounting Standard.
The sum of N1,173,647,529 was proposed for overhead in 2025 out of which N170 million is for welfare packages, N12.800 million on refreshments and meals; N10.956 million on maintenance of office furniture; N53.520 million on maintenance of office building/residential quarters; N46.200 million on maintenance of office/IT equipment; N25.400 million on cleaning and fumigation services; NN65.107 million on local training, N60 million on security charges; N100.200 million on local travels and transport as well as additional N110.575 million on local travels (training) and transport (others); N16.200 million on telephone charges and N50.640 million on electricity charges.
For the personnel cost for the year 2025, the Commission proposed N2.375 billion as regular allowances, N1.214 billion as contributory pension – Employer’s contribution; N12.565 billion for salary and N606,832,798 for NHIS totalling N16.760 billion.
While reacting to the concerns raised on the budget envelope of N18.278 billion capital expenditure for 2025, Hon. Onuakalusi however asked: “Did you come up with any proposal that will counter it, just like the Chairman said, this is what you can use to carry out a good census not budget performance that you did the last time that is still subject of investigation!”
From the total sum of N818,928,272 approved for overhead cost, he confirmed that the full release and utilisation of N818,117,005.05 left the sum of N811,266.95 unutilized which put total budget performance at 99.90 per cent. Meanwhile, the total sum of N10,822,931,206 approved for personnel costs was fully released and utilised.
While briefing the lawmakers on the reasons for the aborted conduct of the population census, Hon. Kwarra disclosed that the Commission was up to 80 per cent ready for the conduct ofthe population census but somehow was halted by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and allowed his successor to conduct the exercise.
“We had prepared almost up to 80 per cent for the conduct of census 2023, but somehow because of transition and other exigencies, the then President decided that we should allow the incoming administration to take over the leadership of the conduct of the census.
“And the preparation is still ongoing, but I would like to report that we lost out on conducting our census under the 2020 rounds of the census. So new rules are up under the 2030 rounds of the census that required some adjustments to consider,” adding that the Commission is rethinking the entire process against next year.
According to him, while arriving at the decision to postpone the population census, Federal Executive Council (FEC) anticipated the need for the conduct of thr population and housing census 17 years after the last exercise.
Speaking earlier, Hon. Odimayo who reiterated the Committee’s resolve to scrutinize the NPC budget proposal and ask probing questions, called for constructive engagement with the Commission.
“As we delve into the budget details, let us remember that population data is the backbone of decision-making and development. Throughout this session, we would scrutinize the budget proposal and and set it in alignment with our national priorities and make informed decisions about their budget allocation.”
While ruling, Odimayo directed the NPC management team to re-submit its 2024 budget performance and the 2025 budget proposal to the Committee for further legislative action.
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