FG budgets N31 billion to fight corruption in 2017

The federal government has devoted a total of N31.1 billion to anti-corruption agencies in the 2017 budget, The Sun reports.

This is in line with the government's resolve towards rooting out corruption in the country. The amount represents 15 percent increase allocated for the same purpose in the 2016 budget

According to the document, almost all the ministries, departments and agencies of government voted some funds towards the fight against corruption in the 2017 budget.

The core agencies saddled with the responsibility of fighting the menace of corruption in Nigeria are:

1. The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)

2. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)

3. The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB)

4 The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

5. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives (NEITI)

6. The Public Complaints Commission (PCC)

7. The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC)

8. The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and

9. The Office of the Auditor General of the Federation

The breakdown of the allocation is below:

1. EFCC would receive N17.2 billion

2. ICPC would receive N5.93 billion

3. CCB would receive N2.73 billion

4. CCT would receive N1.09 billion

5. BPP would receive N1.49 billion

6. NEITI would receive N1.2 billion

The sum total of the budget for core anti-graft agencies amounts to N30.1 billion while the remaining N0.99 billion represents funds earmarked for anti-corruption initiatives across other ministries, departments and agencies of government in the 2017 budget.

Meanwhile, a recent media report indicates that the federal government is incapable of renewing the Group Life insurance coverage for federal civil servants and insurance of its assets nationwide.

This implies that by next year, at least N100.8 billion would be required for the Group life insurance coverage and premiums payment alone for the two consecutive years of 2016 and 2017.