Nigerian Senate threatens to cease budgetary allocations to 100 agencies
Edwin Akwueh, Abuja
The Nigerian Senate has threatened one hundred federal government agencies with zero budget allocation in 2023, for not honouring invitations of its committee on Public Accounts on expenditures from the service wide volts.
Senate also kicked against plan by the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN), to limit cash withdrawal by any individual to =N=100,000 and Corporate bodies to =N=500,000 per week from January 9, 2023.
Senate threat on the affected 100 agencies which include the State House , Presidential Fleet , Ministry of Finance , Nigeria Army , Navy, Airforce , Police , the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ), was sequel to complaint lodged against them by the Chairman , Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Mathew Urhoghide.
Senator Urhoghide had through orders 42 and 95 of the Senate Standing Rules, rose to complain on alleged refusal of heads of the affected agencies to honour invitations sent to them by his committee for required appearance before it on expenditure of public funds.
“This to us is against the Constitution and policy of accountability and transparency of the federal government.”
Consequently, President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan, requested for the list of the affected agencies, read them out to all Senators and ordered that they should appear before the committee within one week or risk zero budget allocation in 2023 as far as capital expenditure component is concerned.
“Your point of order are sustained fully and completely, totally sustained, you are right on the dot to bring to the plenary your grievances .
“Reading this list at plenary gives the agencies opportunity to now know if they were not aware before for those that may claim ignorance and I am taking the opportunity here to advise that in the next one week if the name of any agency is here that agency should reach the committee on public account of the Senate to sort our when the agency would appear before the committee.”
CBN CASHLESS POLICY
Trouble for the planned =N=100, 000 withdrawal per person a week, came through an attempted motion by Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda.
Senator Aduda in the aborted motion sought for debate from all senators on the planned policy before the President of the Senate , Ahmad Lawan intercepted him that it was too early to debate the policy.
However Senator Lawan in stopping him said : ” As good as the cashless policy may be , it shouldn’t be jumped at , at once.
“Before Tuesday next week, our committee on Banking , Insurance and other Financial Institutions mandated to screen the re – appointed Deputy Governors of Central Bank , should focus its questions on the planned policy .
“The CBN Deputy Governors must be thoroughly drilled on the policy after which extensive debate on it will be made by Senators on Tuesday next week “, he said.
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