Budget defence: Reps Committee summons FCT Minister of State, 14 agencies

The House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Area Councils, and Auxiliary Matters on Monday summoned the Minister of State for FCT, Dr Mariya Bunkure, to appear before it on Tuesday along with the 14 agencies under her supervision.

The committee’s resolution followed the absence of the minister and the agencies before the committee for the defence of the 2025 budget appropriation presented to the House for immediate consideration and passage by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

At the scheduled defence session of the budget on Monday, only three of the agencies were present, while the remaining 11, along with the Minister of State, were absent without any official communication.

The Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Fredrick Agbedii, who read out the resolution of the committee, decried the absence of the Minister of State along with the agencies and warned that parliament would invoke its parliamentary powers against the minister and the affected agencies for deliberate disobedience of the law should they fail to appear before it on Tuesday by 4:00 pm.

The lawmaker lamented that while presenting the budget appropriation before the House, President Tinubu had asked the parliament to expedite action on the budget, and the House was working on that request in the national interest, only for the president’s appointees to shun the committee for the defence session.

While expressing concern over the negligence of the minister to attend such an important budget defence session, he said, “The Minister of State was duly invited and notified of the meeting together with the agencies under her jurisdiction.”

According to him, “As a committee, we touch on the fabric of the people of FCT because we interact directly with the people. This committee is very, very important to the people of FCT.”

He, however, called on President Tinubu to ensure urgent action was taken regarding political appointees slowing down the progress of key programmes designed to improve governance in the country.

Earlier, Rep. Paul Kalejaye, representing Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency, Lagos, faulted the absence of the minister and the affected agencies despite being duly invited, describing it as an affront to parliament that should be sanctioned to serve as a deterrent to others.

The committee adjourned till Tuesday at 4:00 pm for the defence session with the Minister of State along with the 14 agencies.

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