Connect with us

Business

Reps Berate Finance Minister For Poor Budget Release

Published

13 years ago

on

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Science and
Technology says it is displeased with what it considered the poor
implementation of the 2012 budget.

Chairman of the committee, Mr Abiodun Akinlade, expressed
the displeasure when he led other members on an oversight function visit to the
National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) offices.

He said contrary to claims by the Ministry of Finance, only
35 per cent of the 2012 budget funds had so far been released.

The legislator said this had therefore made it difficult for
MDAs to execute their projects in the fiscal year.

He said the figure was contrary to the 50 per cent claimed
to have been released by the Ministry of Finance.

“The ministries are being shortchanged, and their funds have
not been released to them and this is October, less than two months to the end
of the year, and the releases have been less than 35 per cent.

He said Nigeria has money, based on the findings of the
House Committees on Finance and Appropriation.

The committee chairman said the danger in not releasing the
funds was that all sectors of the economy are affected when government as the
highest spender in Nigeria refuses to spend money.

He said the Ministry of Finance should be bold enough to
tell Nigerians what the problem was.

The House committee chairman said there was no need
therefore in considering a new budget when the current one had not been
implemented.

“The National Assembly believes that the Appropriation Act
is a law of the land which must be adhered to and be implemented.

“Before we can consider 2013 budget, we have to know the
performance of that of 2012 and that is why the House of Representatives
suspended plenary for us to go to the field and confirm the performance of the
budget.

“What we have been saying on the floor of the House is not
far from what we have seen on the field. The performance of the budget of
Science and Technology is less than 35 per cent,” he said.

Our correspondent reports that members of the committee
later on also expressed displeasure at the NASENI budget implementation.

They said over 70 per cent of the budget implementation was
not in line with 2012 budget.

But, after listening to the agency’s defence, the committee
allowed more time for it to tidy up its books for presentation before the
committee at a later date.

In his remarks, the agency’s acting Director-General said
the agency was devoted to attaining its set goals, saying all projects were in
line with the budget.

He said that there was no way funds would be released for a
project if it was not tied to the provisions of the budget.

Our correspondent reports that some of the agencies visited
by the committee were the Raw Materials Research and Development Council
(RMRDC) and the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN).

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

Published

2 weeks ago

on

June 27, 2025

By

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Continue Reading

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

2 weeks ago

on

June 27, 2025

By

National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Continue Reading

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

Published

2 weeks ago

on

June 27, 2025

By

In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
Continue Reading

Trending