Saatah Nubari: Budget 2016 And Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment #SaatahBudgetSeries

In the twelfth piece in the #SaatahBudgetSeries, I will be looking at the budget for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. In a period where big companies are downsizing and small scale enterprises are closing shop, the budget for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is an important one.

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has six institutions under it; Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment HQTRS, Industrial Arbitration Panel, Michael Imodu Institute of Labour Studies, National Productivity Centre, National Directorate of Employment, and Geneva Labour Desk Office.

The total budget of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is 13,397,589,915; 7,817,589,915 is for “Recurrent Expenditure” while 5,580,000,000 is for “Capital Expenditure.”

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Empowerment budgeted 2,000,000 for the “Purchase of Books, Periodicals and Magazines” as part of its “Capital Expenditure.” This particular item looks modest and does not raise a red flag, but there is a 1,172,900 budget for “Books,” and 1,353,345 for “Magazine and Periodicals” all under “Recurrent Expenditure.” To put it simply, two different budget provisions were made for the same items, and it is very obvious that one will end up in someone’s bank account, that is if the person is “generous” enough to spend one on what it is meant for, and not put all in his or her bank account.

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment budgeted 46,803,284 for “Office/Residential Rent” under “Capital Expenditure,” but what they probably forgot is that 27,066,898 was budgeted for “Office Rent,” and 902,230 was budgeted for “Residential Rent” under “Recurrent Expenditure.” This means that two different provisions were made for the same items. Like I said earlier, it is safe to say that we know what will happen to these duplicated budget provisions.

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment will also spend 406,015,000 for the “Identification of Emerging Vocational Trade.” All I can say about this provision is that these “Emerging Vocational Trades” seem to be microscopic in nature and maybe the Minister of Labour and Employment wants to make use of some very expensive microscopes to be able to identify them.

56,778,821 is budgeted for “Statutory Allowance” under “Capital Expenditure.” This is one very suspicious provision bearing in mind that “Statutory Allowance” should be under “Personnel Cost” under “Recurrent Expenditure.” Having it under “Capital Expenditure” might just graft inspired move.

1,040,720,000 is what the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has budgeted for “Upgrade 12 Employment Exchanges to Job Centres in 12 new States.”

They also plan to spend 406,015,000 to “Purchase Surveying Equipment.” You would think this is the Ministry of Works or National Planning, but no, this is an item in the budget for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

813,183,410 will be used to “Purchase Office Furniture and Fittings.” I am still trying to understand this particular provision as it makes no “Common sense.”

I think the most annoying part of the budget for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment will be 1,090,531,284; the amount budgeted for the “Purchase of Computer Printers.” We will accept nothing less than “printers” which are capable of printing jobs for the numerous unemployed people in Nigeria, or maybe “printers” which will be used to print US Dollars to shore up our foreign reserves. Anything short of these, the (Dis)Honourable Minister of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment should be without a job.

The National Directorate of Employment budgeted 863,854,092 for “Training, Empowerment, Supervision and Empowerment.”

We have come to the end of the twelfth piece in the #SaatahBudgetSeries, and I will leave you with this in-between: The National Institute of Transport Technology will spend 215,458,511 on “DG’s Office and Board Room Construction.” Have a nice day!

Saatah Nubari is on Twitter @Saatah

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