"DIPLOMATIC ROBBERY" IN NIGERIAN POLITICS

The budgeted amounts for purchasing generator fuel and refreshments appear to be a major part of the proposed spending recently submitted by the Executive Arm of government to the National Assembly. According to reports, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) will spend a total sum of N1.126 billion (over €5million)on refreshment and meals as well as another N843 million on generator fuel, according to the 2013 budget proposal. As the breakdown of the allocations to various MDAs show: 1. Ministry of Education will receive N20 million for generator fuel and N10.6 million for refreshment and meals; 2. Ministry of Culture and Tourism: N3.16m for generator fuel, N41.57m for refreshment; 3. Ministry of Defence: N23.7m for generator fuel, N14.2m for refreshment; 4. Ministry of Environment: N11m for generator fuel, N2m for refreshment; 5. Federal Civil Service Commission: N24m for generator fuel, N180m for refreshment; 6. Federal Character Commission: N6m for generator fuel, N8m for refreshment; 7. Ministry of Finance: N65m for generator fuel, N44m for refreshment; 8. Fiscal Responsibility Commission: N4.9m for generator fuel, N4.7m for refreshment. 9. Ministry of Agriculture gets N5.9m for generator fuel, N3.2m for refreshment; 10. Ministry of Communication: N5m for generator fuel, N18m for refreshment; 11. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: N66.8m for generator fuel, N75m for refreshment; 12. The Code of Conduct Bureau: N3.6m for generator fuel, N10m for refreshment; 13. Ministry of Aviation: N13m for refreshment; 14. Wages Commission gets N6.5m for refreshment; 15. Petroleum Resources gets N35.5m for refreshment; 16. Power gets N8.7m for refreshment; 17. Special Duties gets N4m for refreshment; 18. Water Resources gets N19m for generator fuel. With all these monies going into refreshments, next year would not be a bad year to be a visitor in any of these MDAs if the budget in approved as is. But we are wondering what esxactly these people eat... AND why not utilise the money budgeted to be spent on generator fuel for the national power supply??? Corruption plus stupidity is an expensive disease to cure.