Agric Minister, Lawmakers Disagree Over Budget

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture are on a collision course  at a budget defence session on Monday.

The Minsiter of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina had at a budget defence expressed in the ministry to increase their budgetary allocation in connivance with the legislature.

The Minister in a letter dated November 20, 2012 and addressed to all the 39 agencies under the ministry was alleged to have threatened to sanction any agency that attempts to seek an increase of its budget beyond what has been submitted to the National Assembly in the 2013 Appropriation Bill. 

The minister has asked all the agencies to submit to his office such proposals as a way of checkmating such developments.

The directive from the minister which was read on the floor of the house and signed by one Idris Mamman stated thus: “I am directed to request you (agencies) to submit to the office of the Honourable, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Soft and have copies of documents prepared for 2013 budget defence with the National Assembly for his confirmation and record purposes.

“You are also to ensure that your programmes / projects and capital ceilings are at par with what was approved in the Executive Bill as any derivation from the 2013 Executive Bill will be viewed as serious misconduct, please ensure compliance,” it said.

However, Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Tahir Mohammed Monguno dismissed the directive and insisted that the National Assembly had the powers to increase or shrink budget estimates where and when necessary.

He advised such agencies to disregard the warning from the Minister and urged them to increase their budgets were necessary.

He said the agencies necessary increases would be approved if they had projects and programmes that required higher budgetary allocations.

“I have a copy of the minister’s letter here warning the agencies before us here not to seek to exceed their budget envelopes for 2013 and that if they do so, they would face consequences.

“But I want to stress here that the issue of budgeting remains within the power of the National Assembly.

“It is us that would decide what budget would look like. The duty of the executive is to just present to estimate and nothing more, so l want you disregard what the minister has written and go ahead with your proposals,” he said.

Since 1999, budget rows have become an annual ritual as the National Assembly has always insisted on making amendments to the budget estimates presented to it by the executive arm of government.

In turn, however, the executive has viewed such moves as affront to economic plans.