Budget Defence: Senate Puts Ministers, MDA Heads On Hot Seat

Top officials of the executive arm of government, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, and heads of agencies such as the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, and the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ali Mohammed Ali, were on Thursday grilled by Senators during the 2024/2025 budget defence sessions at the Senate.

The Minister of Finance, Edun, and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Bagudu, were particularly grilled by the Senate Committee on Appropriation.

Meanwhile, the heads of NOA and NAN had challenging encounters with the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation.

Edun had found himself in a tight spot when members of the Senate Appropriation Committee, led by Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), demanded answers on the performance of the 2024 budget, especially its capital component.

Senator Ningi asked: “What is the budget performance achieved so far for the 2024 fiscal year, particularly in terms of capital expenditure?

“How much has been saved from the removal of fuel subsidy, and how has it been expended?

“What has been spent on debt servicing in 2024, and what is the projection for 2025?

“Will the extension of the capital component of the 2024 budget to June 30, 2025, guarantee better implementation results given the current low performance?”

Apparently unsettled by the barrage of questions from the lawmaker, Edun requested a closed-door session with the members of the Legislative Committee in order to provide detailed explanations. “Are we in a closed-door session? If not, I humbly request that, for detailed responses to these questions,” the Minister pleaded.

The Committee chairman, Senator Solomon Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West), saved the day when he subsequently excused journalists for the session to continue privately.

At a separate budget defence session, the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, chaired by Senator Kenneth Eze (APC, Ebonyi Central), criticised the budgetary submissions of NOA and NAN, ordering their heads to revise and re-present their proposals for the 2025 fiscal year.

DG of NOA, Issa-Onilu, faced probing questions about the National Identity Project, which the committee claimed was largely unknown to Nigerians, especially at the grassroots.

In defence, Issa-Onilu emphasised the project’s importance in fostering a value system for nation-building. “The challenge with our value system is linked to national identity, which is crucial for galvanising Nigerians towards development and growth,” he stated.

Despite his explanations, the committee insisted that the NOA revise its programmes to better reflect the needs of the 2025 fiscal year.

Similarly, NAN MD Ali was directed to reconcile discrepancies in figures presented for the 2024 budget implementation before returning with proposals for the 2025 fiscal year.

The Senate’s intense scrutiny of the budget performances for 2024 and 2025 propals highlighted its commitment to accountability and ensuring transparency in the appropriation and utilisation of public funds.