Budget: Senate queries minister over N497m

A Senate panel yesterday queried the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed over the provision of N496.5million for the purchase of furniture and infrastructure in next year’s budget of the ministry.

The Minister was queried when he appeared before the Senate committee on Culture and Tourism, chaired by Senator Fatima Raji- Rasaki (PDP, Ekiti).

Rasaki told the minister that the ministry made budgetary provision for furniture and office equipment in the 2017 budget and that same subhead had been repeated in the 2018 budget proposal.

“It has become yearly expenditure. Some we say maintenance of furniture and some will say purchase of furniture. The Senate is not happy with this and we are working towards putting an end to this,” she said.

In the 2018 budget proposal, the ministry budgeted N496.6m for the Purchase of Office Equipment and Infrastructure. Out of the amount, N80.5m was for furniture and office equipment among others.

Rasaki also sought for explanation over the fall in the Ministry’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from N620m in 2016 to N500m in 2017.

She also requested explanation on last year’s request by the ministry to establish cultural centres in six states.

Responding, the minister said the subhead appeared in both 2017 and 2018 budgets because of insufficient fund released to the ministry.

On IGR, he said, “This is the amount we have so far generated from Tender and it is still ongoing.”