House Approves N100m Virement for National Assembly Commission

House Approves N100m Virement for National Assembly Commission
  • Decries deplorable condition of health centres nationwide

 

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The House of Representatives has approved the sum of N100 million virement for personnel cost of the National Assembly Service Commission in the 2019 budget to overhead and capital cost.

The lawmakers, meanwhile, decried the deplorable condition of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) across the country.

The House gave the approval following the adoption of a motion on the need to vire the sum of N100 million from the Commission’s personnel vote to capital and overhead cost by Hon. Sani Bala.

He said in 2019, the Commission budgeted the sum of N100 million for its personnel cost for the payment of salaries and allowances of the expected new members of the Commission.

Bala stressed that the expected new members have not been appointed, and are not likely to resume before January 2020, therefore, the sum of N100 million as the Commission’s personnel cost might not be utilised by the end of December 2019.

He stressed that it is equally mandatory for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to return all their unspent personnel cost to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) by the end of December 2019.

The lawmaker expressed concern that the Commission was in dire need of funds, as most of its furniture and sundry office equipment purchased over 10 years ago are in poor condition.

The House, therefore, resolved to “vire the sum of N100 million meant for personnel cost in the 2019 budget to overhead cost and capital cost in 2019 to enable the Commission utilise the fund appropriately.”

At the interval, the House of Representatives has decried the deplorable condition of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) across the country.

It, therefore, urged the Ministry of Health to commence the rehabilitation as well as equipping the primary healthcare centres across all the states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for effective healthcare delivery.

The decision of the House followed the adoption of a motion brought by Hon. Taofeek Ajilesoro on the rehabilitation of primary healthcare centres across the country for effective healthcare service.

He expressed concern that most of the primary healthcare centres across the federation and the FCT are either uncompleted or in a state of disrepair, adding that in some cases, without equipment to function efficiently and effectively, it leaves the centres in deplorable conditions.

Ajilesoro noted that “the inability to effectively address the numerous public health challenges has contributed to the persistent and high level of poverty and the weakness of the primary healthcare system.

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