House Conducts Public Hearing on Non-implementation of Budget

Officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget Office of the Federation, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) are expected to appear before an ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives today over the non-implementation of the 2015 Appropriation Act.

THISDAY gathered that officials of other agencies related to finance may also be summoned to appear before the ad-hoc committee headed by Hon.Ahmed Pategi (Kwara APC) at the public hearing which commences 10am.

The House, at plenary on August 13, 2015 had constituted an ad hoc committee to investigate the non implementation of the budget following a motion sponsored by Hon. Patrick Asadu (Enugu APC) under matters of urgent public importance.

Asadu had accused the federal government of abandoning the implementation of the 2015 budget and capital projects, almost mid way into the third quarter of the financial year.

He had added the non release of the funds deprives the country of highly needed basic facilities and subjects its citizens to infrastructural and economic hardship, stunting the nation’s economic growth.

“That the constituency projects that are meant to ensure even and equitable development of all sections of the country, and which total estimates amounts to less that 0.1 per cent of the total 2015 annual budget is also not being implemented,” the lawmaker had said..

He had also described the 2015 budget as a wasteful and inefficient one, with almost N4 trillion allocated for recurrent expenditure and N557 billion of capital expenditure.

The Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (Lagos APC) had however argued that it was too early to conduct such investigation as the 2015 Appropriation Act was signed on May 6, 2015 just before former President Goodluck Jonathan left office.

He said it was wrong to accuse the current government of shunning the implementation of the budget.

The ad hoc committee is expected to submit its findings when the House resumes from recess on September 29, 2015.