2023 Budget: Senate threatens Ministry of Finance, INEC, Defence, NSA, DMO office, others with zero allocations

The Senate on Wednesday threatened to withdraw allocation to about 100 ( hundred) Ministries, Department, and Agencies.

The Senate resolution was on the heels of observations made at the plenary session by Senator Mathew Urhoghide.

The Senator representing Edo South, who incidentally is the Chairman, of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts has accused the chief executives of the agencies of failure to honour his Committee invitation, based on queries against their finances by the office of Auditor General of the Federation.

He said:” The agencies that have vehemently refused to appear before our committee, this list of agencies and the amount that is against their name are staggering I crave your indulgence that we invite, through your Order, either by way of warrant of arrest or anything so that these agencies can come that we can complete our report and submit to this Senate.”

Among the agencies listed by President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, included,
Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Ministry of Defence, AMCON, NEMA, Ministry of Agric, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, National Health Insurance Scheme, ( NHIS), Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Ministry of Environment, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, ( NAHCON), Office of National Security Adviser, NECO, Nigerian Police Academy, Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).

The President of the Senate gave the listed agencies one week to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts or have their 2023 Budget slashed.

He said: “Reading this list at plenary gives the agencies the opportunity to now know if they were not aware before for those that may claim ignorance and I am taking the opportunity here to advise that in the next one week if the name of any agency is here that agency should reach the committee on public account of the Senate to sort our when the agency would appear before the committee. If there is no communication whatsoever and no cogent and verifiable reason is given we will Slash the budget of the agencies.”

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2023 Budget: Senate threatens Ministry of Finance, INEC, Defence, NSA, DMO Office, others with zero allocations