Budget Defence: Polytechnics React Over Risk Of Zero Allocation

There is unease within some federal polytechnics over the risk of having zero allocations in the 2026 budget due to the failure of heads of the institutions to defend their budget proposals before the House of Representatives.

The House Committee on Polytechnics and Other Higher Technical Education had slated budget defence with rectors of 14 federal polytechnics last Friday but only four appeared.

The rectors who did not turn up for the exercise were those of Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi;

Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny; Federal Polytechnic, Yaba; Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro; Federal Polytechnic, Wannune;     Federal Polytechnic, Nekede; Federal Polytechnic, Ihu-Oluji;   Federal Polytechnic, Auchi;     Federal Polytechnic, Offa and      Federal Polytechnic, Kaduna.

But following enquiries by our correspondent, the management of  Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State, said it duly complied with the invitation by submitting all required budget defence documents ahead of the date for its appearance before the lower chamber of the National Assembly.

The institution’s director of Information and public relations, Mr Olayinka Iroye  made this clarification during an interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend.

He however said due to unforeseen circumstances bordering on another official engagement that coincided with the same day, the polytechnic’s representatives were unavoidably constrained. At the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri in Imo State, its spokesman, Stanley Ugochukwu, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that they were not aware of the invitation.  He said they would be willing to attend as soon as a new date was made public and brought to their attention.

Kaduna Polytechnic also did not appear, but its spokesman, Godwin Ayegba, told our correspondent he did not know whether House Representatives invitation was extended to the rector, Dr. Suleiman Umar, or not.

“The report I read, Kaduna Polytechnic was not mentioned. What I read was chairman House of Representatives committee said the House will extend invitations to those who didn’t attend. This is not an issue.  I am yet to get in touch with the rector,” Ayegba said.

LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that the committee had set a new date for the rectors to appear for the defence.

There are indications that the 2026 budget defence sessions would round off early

The House had postponed the resumption of plenary scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, 2025 to Thursday, March 4, 2026 to enable committees round up the ongoing budget defence sessions with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Acting Clerk to the House of Representatives, Ibrahim Sidi disclosed this in an internal memo titled: “Notice of Postponement of Plenary Session.”

“In light of the ongoing 2026 Budget Defense by Ministries, Departments and Agencies which remains substantially incomplete- the Leadership of both Houses hereby directs the postponement of plenary sitting to allow Committees conclude their budget defense accordingly.

“Plenary, earlier scheduled to resume on Tuesday, 24th February 2026, will now reconvene on Thursday, 5th March 2026 at 11:00am.

“The Leadership regrets any inconvenience this adjustment may cause and urges Honorable Members to utilise the intervening period to further refine and strengthen discourse on the ongoing budget defence,” the memo reads.

Credible sources in the House said in an event, the Polytechnics could not appear before the committee to defend their budget proposals and the exercise is closed they may not get allocation for the 2026 financial year.

A member of the committee who do not know want to be mentioned said, “as it is we are very busy with other legislative functions, particularly the process of appropriation. The committee oversights not just Polytechnics but other Higher Technical Education institutions.

“So, if we don’t have the time again for the concerned Polytechnics as we are struggling to meet deadlines for budget defence, they would bear the consequences which you too know. Other committees have already given that indication.”

Recently, the House Committee on Science and Engineering threatened to cause zero budgetary allocation to the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) in the 2026 financial year.

The committee’s threat was sequel to the failure of the agency’s Director-General, Dr Olushola Odusanya to appear before the panel to defend the proposal and for not submitting required documents for legislative scrutiny.

Chairman of the committee, Hon. Inuwa Garba (PDP Gombe), stated that if President Bola Tinubu could personally appear before the National Assembly to present the national budget, none of his appointees should consider themselves too important to honour an invitation from the parliament.

Garba said, the committee’s action would serve as a deterrent to other government appointees who might contemplate similar conduct to National Assembly.

The House of Representatives as a Chamber of the National Assembly has the Constitutional justification if it withholds budgetary allocation of any MDA.

Section 80 (3 & 4) prohibits the withdrawal of public funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation without authorisation by an Act of the National Assembly.

This “power of the purse” allows the House which as a Chamber of the National Assembly to demand justifications for spending proposals.

Section 80(3) states that: “no moneys shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the Federation, other than the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, unless the issue of those moneys has been authorised by an Act of the National Assembly.”

Section 80(4) provides that: “no moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly.”