Senate queries CBN, NNPC over 2017 budget
The Senate yesterday queried the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and 35 other federal agencies over delay in the submission of their budgets.
The agencies and corporations were mandated in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 to submit their budgets to the National Assembly for scrutiny and passage.
The Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi) who raised a point of order during yesterday’s plenary said the agencies were supposed to submit their budgets in September last year.
“I am the one responsible for the collation of reports and we have not received one single report regarding the budget of parastatals, which were supposed to have been given by September. I want to put it on record. We have not received any report. I don’t know whether the chairmen have received,” he said.
Senate President Bukola Saraki said the issue must be taken seriously, “because clearly these agencies are just flouting the guidelines and breaking the law.
“I think this matter really needs to come as a motion because it’s a very serious matter, we need to debate it because we are already in May and how can patastatals be operating without any budget, especially in this time of fight against corruption,” he said.
Other affected agencies are, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), National Maritime Authority (NMA), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigerians Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Nigerians Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Federal Mortgage Bank (FMB) and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), amongst others. Sixty personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces are undergoing a six-week extensive training in specialized fields of weaponry and communication in India.
A statement from the Indian High Commission in Abuja said the training, offered by the Indian Armed Forces, was to further enhance the capacity of the Nigerian troops as they battle Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.
The training was sponsored by the Indian Government and will continue until June 10, 2017, the statement said.
India’s “sustained” support to the Nigerian Armed Forces was due to the strong bilateral relations between both countries, it added.
“A large number of training courses are being offered by the Indian Armed Forces to further enhance the capacity and capability of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“In continuation to this effort, highly intensive armament training for sixty personnel of the Nigerian Army has commenced in India on May 01, 2017. This training is being imparted to both Officers and soldiers and will continue until June 10, 2017.
“The six week extensive training includes highly specialized fields of weaponry and communication.
“The funding for the training is being provided by the Government of India,” the statement said.