Senate Threatens 100 Agencies With Zero Budget Allocations …Kicks Against CBN’s New Withdrawal Policy

The 2023 budgetary allocations of about 100 agencies of the Federal Government are under serious threat over the failure of the agencies to honour the Senate invitations to clear queries issued them by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation.
The Senate also kicked against plan by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to limit cash withdrawal by any individual to N100,000 and Corporate bodies to N500,000 per week from January 9, 2023.
The Senate at its plenary, took the decision to bring the 2023 statutory allocations of the said agencies to zero following complaints by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Account, Senator Matthew Urhoghide.
Urhoghide, coming through Orders 42 and 95 of the Senate Standing Rules, rose to complain on alleged recalcitrance of heads of the affected agencies to honour invitations sent to them by his committee for required appearance before it on queries raised against them by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation .
He said, “Mr President, heads of agencies totalling about 100, indicted in various audit reports forwarded to the Public Account Committee by Office of the Auditor General of the Federation in line with provisions of sections 62, 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, have repeatedly failed to appear before us.
“This to us is against the Constitution and policy of accountability and transparency of the Federal Government.
“I crave your indulgence that we invite through your order either by way of warrant of arrest or anything so that these agencies can come and we can complete our report and submit to this Senate”, he said.
The President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, angered by the report, requested for the list of the affected agencies, read them out to all Senators and ordered that they should appear before the committee within one week or risk zero budget allocation in 2023 as far as capital expenditure component is concerned.
“Your point of order is sustained fully and completely, totally sustained, you are right on the dot to bring to the plenary your grievances.
“Reading this list at plenary gives the agencies opportunity to now know if they were not aware before for those that may claim ignorance and I am taking the opportunity here to advise that in the next one week if the name of any agency is here that agency should reach the Committee on Public Account of the Senate to sort out when the agency would appear before the committee.
“If there is no communication whatsoever and no cogent and verifiable reason is given, we will slash the budget of the agencies as far as capital component is concerned.
“Heads of the affected agencies must take this very seriously because any serving public officer must be ready to render accounts on public funds and if not ready to do so, should quit, since nobody should be above the law”, he said.
Some of the affected agencies include the State House, Presidential Fleet, Ministry of Finance, the Nigeria Army, the Navy, Air Force, the Nigerian Police Force and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), among others.
Meanwhile, complaint against CBN’s planned N100, 000 withdrawal per person per week came through a motion by Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda but was aborted by the Senate President.
Aduda in the attempted motion, sought for debate from all senators on the planned policy before the Senate President intercepted him that it was too early to debate the policy.
The Senate President said, “As good as the cashless policy may be, it shouldn’t be jumped at, at once.
“The way CBN is going about the policy, many Nigerians would be cut off and that won’t be accepted.
“Motion on the policy will be thoroughly debated in Senate on Tuesday next week after adequate information has been gotten on it.
“Before Tuesday next week, our Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions mandated to screen the re-appointed Deputy Governors of Central Bank, should focus its questions on the planned policy.
“The CBN Deputy Governors must be thoroughly drilled on the policy after which extensive debate on it will be made by Senators on Tuesday, next week”.

By: NnekaAmaechi-Nnadi, Abuja