Senators on Thursday asked Ministers and heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government to explain some some policies of the Federal Government being executed or supervised by them.
The Senators made the requests during separate budget defence session organised by Senate Committees.
While the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Wale Edun and the Minister of Budget and Economic planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu were asked questions bordering on gains of fuel subsidy removal and the amount spent on debt servicing in 2024, Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA) Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu was asked to explain the need for the National Identity project being championed by the agency.
During a session organised by the the Senate Committee on Appropriation, the Minister of Finance was asked to about the state of implementation of the 2024 budget, particularly the capital component.
A member of the Committee, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP – Bauchi Central), asked Edun to explain how proceeds from fuel subsidy removal were expended in the 2024 fiscal year.
Ningi said: “What is the budget performance achieved so far, for 2024 fiscal year, particularly in terms of the capital expenditure.
“We haven’t heard from the Minister how much has been saved from the removal of fuel subsidy and how much has been expended.
“We also haven’t heard from the Ministers about the debt servicing. How much have we actually used to service our debt in 2004?
“How much are we expecting to service the debt in 2005? Finally, will the Minister of Finance guarantee that the extension of the capital component of the 2024 budget to June 30, 2025 will give the desired results in terms of implementation that has a very low percentage now?”
The Minister however requested the committee to allow him provide answers to the questions in an executive session which was granted by the Committee chaired by Senator Solomon Adeola (APC – Ogun West).
“Are we in a closed door session? If we are not in a closed door session, I will humbly seek for that for detailed explanations on the questions asked,” he said.
Issa-Onilu and his counterpart in the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ali Mohammed Ali, were separately quizzed over their allocations, projects and 2024 budget performance when they appeared before the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation.
The Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation during a budget defence session with Issa-Onilu and Ali, directed them to re-draft and re-present their budgetary proposals for the 2025 fiscal year.
The committee chaired by Senator Kenneth Eze (APC – Ebonyi Central), quizzed the NOA DG on the National Identity Project being implemented by the agency, saying Nigerians are not aware of the project particularly those residing at the grassroots.
But the NOA DG, told the committee members that the project is very necessary in putting in place the right value system.
“The challenge we have about value system is about National Identity which is very necessary at galvanising Nigerians for Nation building, national development and growth,” he said.
The Committee however insisted that he should go back and redraft programmes of the agency to be captured and appropriated for, in the 2025 fiscal year.
The Director General of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) was told to go and reconcile disjointed figures presented in the 2024 budget implementation before approaching the Committee for appropriation of allocation figures for 2025 fiscal years.
[TheNation]