FG Budgets ₦4.8bn To Monitor WhatsApp, Others

The Federal Government has earmarked ₦4.8 billion for the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to monitor an encrypted messaging application, WhatsApp, and a satellite telephone, Thuraya.

Naija News learned that the provision is contained in the supplementary 2021 budget passed by the National Assembly.

The National Assembly had approved the sum of ₦982 billion as the supplementary budget for 2021. While ₦123 billion was approved for recurrent expenditure, ₦895 billion was earmarked for capital expenditure.

The budget is meant to boost military operations and to facilitate the procurement of COVID-19 vaccine.

According to TheCable, the line items of the budget showed that police “commands and formation” got ₦33.6 billion for some projects, including the fumigation of 19 training institutes at ₦200 million.

While ₦936 million was earmarked for the police to buy uniform and kits, ₦910 million was voted for allowances and salaries of trainees.

Under the Ministry of Defence, ₦1.6 billion was set aside for an “additional 2,700 troops.” The army also got ₦675 million for operation allowance for the troops.

The Nigeria Air Force got ₦239 billion, of which ₦266 million was budgeted for small arms and ammunition, ₦1.5 billion for upgrade of barracks “through direct labour” and ₦84 billion for the payment of “defence equipment.”

The Department of State Services (DSS) got ₦17.5 billion for the purchase of vehicles, arms and upgrading of its six training institutes nationwide, among other line items.

Under health, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) got ₦1.6 billion for a “treatment programme.”

While ₦20.6 billion was voted for the “delivery” of vaccines to every ward/primary health centre, ₦60.7 billion was earmarked for the purchase of COVID vaccines.

The sum of ₦6.7 billion was earmarked for the procurement and installation of oxygen plants nationwide.