Buhari begins N5,000 payment to one million poor Nigerians

The Federal Government plans to spend N915m on counterpart funding for the procurement of contraceptive commodities this year.

The budget for the national distribution of the commodities is also included in the allocation.

The sum is part of the total sum of N31.bn allocated to the Federal Ministry of Health in the 2017 Appropriation Bill currently before the National Assembly.

According to the details of the document obtained by our correspondent, the huge sum will be spent on contraceptives based on what government called 2016 forecast.

Contraceptives are birth control devices or devices intended to prevent conception.

The sum is different from another N12.3m allocated for what the government called the “last mile distribution of contraceptive commodities.”

Another N1.8m is allocated for the training of community health extension workers on long acting reversible contraceptives.

According to the details, the government will also spend N1.2bn on contribution and counterpart funding for UNICEF for the procurement of RUTF; and N9m will be spent as support for states in the development of implementation plan for the Nigerian Family Planning Blueprint.

The government will also spend N1.5bn on the placement of 100,000 on HIV treatment and management.

The takeoff of the Tobacco Control Unit as stipulated in the National Tobacco Control Act will also gulp N12.5m.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Monday denied media reports that N29bn was provided in the 2017 budget to fight militancy.

The Ministry of Budget and National Planning in a statement by the Media Adviser to the Minister,  Mr. Akpandem James, said no such provision was made by the ministry in the budget.

The statement said President Muhammadu Buhari had consistently and categorically stated that the focus of his administration in 2017 would be to continue to pursue peace initiatives in the Niger Delta through dialogue and engagement.

It added that this was the reason why among other projects earmarked for the Niger Delta, N65bn was provided in the 2017 budget proposals for the re-integration of transformed ex-militants under the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

The statement read in part, “The attention of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning has been drawn to a story which quotes a statement reportedly issued on Saturday night and signed by a member of the Central Working Committee of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Dr. Alfred Mulade, that the Federal Government had earmarked N29bn in the 2017 budget, specifically to fight militancy in the Niger Delta.

“It must be clearly stated that there is no such provision in the 2017 budget proposals presented by the President, so we have absolutely no idea where this story is coming from.”