BREAKING: Tension as Senate Threatens to Cut Budget of over 100 MDAs, Gives Reason, Nigerians React
- The 2023 budgetary allocation of over 100 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) may be slashed
- Ahmad Lawan, the president of the Senate, said this on Wednesday, December 7, after the heads of the affected MDAs failed to honour the Red Chamber's summon
- The heads of the affected MDAs had been summoned by the lawmakers following the queries raised in a report by the Auditor General of the Federation
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FCT, Abuja- The Senate on Wednesday, December 7, threatened to cut down the 2023 budgetary allocation of over 100 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the country.
The Red Chamber made the threat following the repeated failure of the heads of the MDAs to appear before the Senate Public Accounts Committee to respond to queries raised in the Auditor General’s report, Premium Times reported.
Source: Facebook
Legit.ng recalls that the auditor-general's report indicted some MDAs for queries like frivolous spendings, misappropriation of funds, inability to account for money spent, and payment of salaries to dead or retired staff, among others.
Some of the affected MDAs include Ministries of Interior, Finance, Health Information, Foreign Affairs, Women Affairs, Communications and Special Duties.
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Others are the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police, State House, AMCON, NHIS, NEDC, INEC, Debt Management Office, NEMA, NAFDAC, National Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Works and Housing, among others.
Senate president Ahmad Lawan speaks
In his remarks, the president of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said any public officer who accepts to serve and use public funds must be prepared to account for the fund.
He added that anyone who feels he is above the law should quit.
The Senate president went to read out the names of the MDAs, over 100 of them, and gave them one week to reach out to the public accounts committee and fix a date for hearing.
“If any of them fail to do so, with no communication or verifiable reason, we will slash their 2023 budget,” he added.
Nigerians react
Ogunbanwo Babatunde Joel commented on Facebook:
"The people summoned knows they will not be in office to spend the budget. HMs, HMS, most DGs and some Permanent Secretaries. Make una nor vex. Allow representation by career Civil Servants."
Okeugo Chike said:
"They should be bold enough to come forward to defend their budget. You have been patrotic to scrutinize what they sent to the Senate budget committee."
Peter Abioye said:
"If their budgets are cut, they would eventually request for supplementary budget/virement approvals!"
Cosmas Onyekwulune said:
"Even if they did not come, they know nothing may happen."
Senate threatens to arrest Emefiele, others over N500 billion fund
In another report, the alleged unequal disbursement of N500 billion development fund across the six geo-political zones is pitting the Senate against the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele and others.
The upper legislative chamber’s Adhoc committee on the disbursement of N500 billion across the six geo-political zones by the Development Bank of Nigeria threatened to issue a warrant of arrest on Emefiele and heads of the concerned financial institutions for not appearing before it.
The Sani Musa led-committee had summoned the Managing Director of Bank of Industry (BoI), Olukayode Pitan, MD of NIRSAL, Aliyu Abdulhameed and the DG of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), Olawale Fasanya.
Source: Legit.ng
