BOMBSHELL: Reps Panel Slams 24 Agencies with Budget Exclusion Over Financial Irregularities
By Aluta News
December 19, 2024
In a bold move, the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has recommended the exclusion of 24 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) from the 2025 budget estimates. The affected agencies include heavyweights like the University of Ibadan, National Examination Council, Federal Medical Centre, Bida, and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The committee’s drastic measure comes on the heels of these agencies’ repeated failure to account for their previous budgetary allocations and internally generated revenues. Despite numerous summonses, they have consistently shunned attempts to scrutinize their financial administration, prompting the committee to take drastic action.
This resolution was adopted during the committee’s extraordinary sitting on Wednesday, with the Chairman, Bamidele Salam, emphasizing that the Financial Regulation empowers the National Assembly to exclude any MDA that fails to account for their previous appropriations.
The presidency has also announced plans to base the 2025 budget on thorough needs assessments to ensure funding is allocated based on actual requirements, further emphasizing the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
Among the agencies recommended for delisting are some of Nigeria’s most prominent federal institutions, including hospitals, universities, and development agencies.
The MDAs recommended for delisting include the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria Police Force, Department of Information and Communication Technology and the Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba, Delta State.
Others are the Federal College of Education, Yola, Adamawa State, Federal Polytechnic Ekowe, Bayelsa State, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Cross River Basin Development Authority, Nigeria Office for Trade Negotiation, the National Examination Council, Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil and Presidential Amnesty Programme, among others.
Also included are the National Health Insurance Authority, Nigeria Nuclear Regulatory Authority, National Space Research and Development Agency, Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan, Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan and Federal School of Survey, Oyo State.
The committee’s chairman, Bamidele Salam, said, “The Financial Regulation empowers the National Assembly to exclude any Ministry, Department, or Agency that fails to account for their previous appropriations. As such, the listed MDAs should be excluded from the 2025 budget until they appear before this constitutional committee.”
The committee unanimously recommended that the 24 MDAs should be excluded from the 2025 budget until they appear and provide the necessary answers to the questions asked about their financial dealings.