Reps Summon Humanitarian Affairs Minister To Defend 2022 Budget In Person Or…

The Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Umar Farouk to appear before it and defend her 2022 budget.

The committee threatened that should she failed to appear in person, she stood the risk of having zero allocation to her Ministry.

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Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Mukhtar Betera who handed down the summons and warning said that there were issues that required the physical presence of the minister than any other official of the ministry.

He accused Farouk of consistently evading summon and refusing to appear in person before the Committee despite the invitations and communications sent to her, informing that the House may be compelled to take a decisive action.

THE WHISTLER recalled that the minister had overseen huge spendings of national funds on palliatives in the 2020 and 2021 budgets. She had faced serious criticisms for spending freely without legislative approval.

According to the House, her current posture is to afford her another opportunity to spend without approval, a situation they say would not be allowed to happen again.

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Although, the Committee acknowledged that she had sent the Permanent Secretary of the ministry before the Committee but it insisted that Farouk must appear before the lawmakers.

“Sadiya Farouq, rather than appear before the Committee, kept delegating the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Nura Alkali, to do this function.

“Alkali had made herself available, but the committee was uncomfortable with the Minister’s behaviours, making it to reject the Permanent Secretary’s appearance”, Betera said.

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