Appear Before Committee Or Risk Zero Allocation – Senate Tells CBN, NPA,NCC, NIMASA, Others

MICHAEL AKINOLA

The Nigerian Senate has threatened to sanction heads of some revenue generating agencies of the Federal Government if they fail to appear before the Senate Joint Committee on Finance and National Planning tomorrow to defend their positions as contained in the 2021-2023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework And Fiscal Strategy Paper, MTEF/FSP after being duly invited.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West) made the threat while presiding at the beginning of a 5-Day Public Hearing on the 2021-2023 MTEF/FSP, which saw some heads of the agencies not appearing at all or sending in officers that cannot speak about the revenue figures of their agencies with any authority.

“The 2021-2023 MTEF/FSP was sent to the Senate on July 20 for consideration by President Muhammadu Buhari preparatory to the presentation of the 2021 Appropriation Bill. And in line with the desire to achieve early passage of the budget to be in tandem with the January-December budget cycle, the Senate referred the MTEF/FSP to the joint Committee for consideration even while members are on recess. Any head of agencies that refused to appear before the Committee to defend figures it submitted as presented by the President to the Senate risks a zero allocation in the incoming budgeted among other penalties” Senator Adeola stated. 

Among the agencies specifically mentioned by the Senate Joint Committee Chairman, whose heads are to appear tomorrow are Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Communication Commission, Nigeria Shippers Council, NIMASA,  FIRS,USFP and NNLG.

The Joint Committee public hearing was attended by the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu and over 20 members from the two Senate Committee.