NASS THREATENS ZERO ALLOCATION FOR AGENCIES THAT CHIEF EXECUTIVE ABSENT DURING BUDGET DEFENCE 16-01-25
By Sadiq Aminu The National Assembly joint Committee on Agricultural Production and Services on Thursday threatened Zero allocation for agencies under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security whose Chief Executive Officers fails to appear in person to defend their 2025 budget estimates.
Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Saliu Mustapha and his House of Representatives counterpart, Bello Kaoje expressed disappointment that despite the directive of President Bola Tinubu for all heads of agencies to appear before the National Assembly to defend their budget, some of them choose to travel at this critical time.
The displeasure by the lawmakers arose due to the absence of the Director General of the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service Dr. Vincent Isegbe during the budget defence session of the agency.
Senator Mustapha told the representative of the Director General that there was no reason for the Chief Executive who is the accounting officer not to appear before them, and ordered that he appear to defend his budget estimates latest Monday, January 20.
Emphasizing on the importance for the the Heads of Agencies to appear for Budget Defence, the Chairman House Committee on Agricultural Services and Production, Bello Kaoje warned against agencies failing to come forward to defend their budget.
Mr. Kaoje pointed out that because of the importance of the budgetary provisions, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria appeared before a joint session of the National Assembly to present the budget, stressing that, there is no reason for any Head of agency not to appear before the parliament at this critical time.