Over recent weeks, the 2016 budget has been the subject of a lot of debate after the document presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly was doctored and figures inflated. There have been calls for the civil servants responsible for the fraud to be sacked and tried for corruption.
Acting on the debacle, legislators have asked that the two ministers, along with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele, to come and explain the mix-up. Also to be invited to explain themselves will be the accountant-general of the federation and the director-general of the Budget Office of the Federation.
According to legislators, the meeting is primarily designed to address grey areas relating to alleged infractions and padding observed by various standing committees. Abdulmumin Jibrin, the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, confirmed that the budget proposals of the ministries, departments and agencies being presented by all the standing committees had been harmonised with their Senate counterparts.
Hon Jibrin said: “We have agreed that we will invite the minister of budget and planning, minister of finance, accountant-general of the federation, the director of budget office and the central bank governor and engage them extensively on the entire budget. We also have pending issues on the 2015 budget, so they have to come with 2015 budget performance and then we will go into special session.”
He also directed the clerk of the committee to liaise with the office of the Clerk of the House to access the members’ data base for easy dispatch of message to all the 360 members and various committees on the February 25 deadline for final submission and consideration of budgets. House speaker Yakubu Dogara, also directed chairmen of all the standing committees to submit and defend their ministries, department and agencies budget within 24 hours or risk zero budget for 2016.
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