2017 Budget: Reps Threaten To Give Amaechi’s Ministry Zero Allocation
Rotimi Amaechi, Transportation Minister[/caption]
Four committees of the House of Representatives to include Aviation; Land Transport; Maritime Safety and Administration and Ports, Harbours and Waterways have stated that the Rotimi Amaechi-led Ministry of Transportation may not get 2017 budget allocation.
The committees made the statement following a visit to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on oversight function.
The Chairman, Committee on Maritime Safety and Administration, Mohammed Bago, said that the ministry presented different documents to the committees which did not contain facts.
Advertisement
He revealed that the ministry had received N243 billion and had yet to spend it, adding that if the money was not used before the end of the month, it would receive zero allocation in 2017.
“The different positions made to the committee of the house on both land transport, ports and harbour, maritime safety and administration as well as aviation has varied.
“We have received three different documents till date and all of them are not consistent and that is why we have asked for a new document to ascertain the value of what this project is all about.
“We are not going to appropriate on this budget until we have the fact and figure and if we do not have the facts and figure, the ministry of transport will get zero allocation.
Advertisement
“They have received 243 billion and they have not spent it when Ministry of Health needs money; people are dying of meningitis, Nigerian soldiers are dying in Sambisa, no money to fund the soldiers.
“The ministry of transportation is sitting on billions of naira released to it and was not utilised.’’
On his own part, Chairman of the Committee on Ports, Harbours and Waterways, Dr. Patrick Asadu, said that members were at the ministry to ensure that money given to the ministry was well spent.
“Our being here is to help the ministry to ensure that money given to it was spent for what it was given for.
“But when this money is not well spent, we are not going to release further money; we are trying to look at what happened in 2016 budget; we are insisting that the ministry spends it or we give it to other agencies.”
Similarly, Chairman, Committee on Land Transport, Aminu Sani, said the budget presentation and performance presented before the joint committee was not impressive.
