Ministry to spend N1.1bn on celebrations, N29,000 daily on refreshment

THE Federal Ministry of Education has planned to spend N1,103,870,000 on celebrations and N29,000 daily on refreshment in the 2013 fiscal year.
Also, an agency of the ministry, the Nomadic Education Commission, will spend N7 million on anniversary.
Decrying these spendings, ActionAid of Nigeria, in a document made available to the media during a roundtable on analysis of 2013 Federal Budget on Tuesday, in Abuja, said it was unwarranted, considering the fact that budgetary allocations to the education sector were still far below international standards.
In the document, the ministry and Nomadic Education Commission would spend a total of N1.8 billion on celebrations and anniversaries in 2013.
According to ActionAid, the ministry had placed emphasis on items of less importance rather than on people-empowering activities and planning.
In the document, the ministry planned to spend 15 per cent of its capital vote, amounting to N1,103,870,000 on anniversaries and celebrations while the Nomadic Education Commission voted two per cent of its capital vote, amounting to N7million on celebrations compared to N3.5million it planned to spend on Women Empowerment and Nomadic Child Education in three northern states.
However, an official of the ministry, who pleaded anonymity, because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, explained that  it was not true  that the entire sum was budgeted for mere celebration.