Niger Delta
Inadequate Funding Threatens N’Delta Dev, Akpabio Alerts
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has raised alarm over inadequate funding and poor allocation to the ministry, which he said, may slow down envisaged speedy development of Niger Delta region.
The minister said that low allocations for the ministry were responsible for series of uncompleted projects in the region, over the years.
He said the total sum of N26, 592,560, 900, 400 proposed for the Ministry of Niger Delta for 2021 was grossly inadequate for projects meant for the region.
Akpabio, in his presentation before the Senate Committee on Niger Delta during the ministry’s 2021 budget defence at the National Assembly, called on the committee to look into the allocations of the ministry in line with its responsibilities in the Niger Delta.
Analysing the budget, he said: “The capital estimate reveals that the sum of N15,000,000,000, out of N19,533,720,033 for capital infrastructure project was allocated to the East-West Road (Sections I- IV) alone, on the order of Mr. President. This leaves N4,533,720,033 for the other infrastructural projects”.
Akpabio further lamented that gross inadequate funding has led to derailment of the programmes of engagement of youths and women of the region, reduced training for knowledge acquisition, poor performance and protracted delay in project delivery and intermittent disruption by youths who chase away contractors from sites.
It would be recalled that the ministry got a budgetary proposal of N26,592,560,040, comprising of N1,443,111,339 for personnel, N877,089,120 for overhead, and N24,272,359,581 for capital.
On the 2020 budget performance, the minister said, “A total sum of N23.45billion was approved as 2020 appropriation after the national budget was amended due to the effect of Covid -19 pandemic.
“The capital, overheads and personnel expenditure budget were in the sum of N21.71billion, N600.1million and N1.14billion, respectively. The releases in respect of capital, overheads and personnel expenditure were N10.86billion, N432.64million and N1.026billion, representing 50%, 72% and 99%, respectively”, he added.
According to the minister, funds for the 2020 budget released for the ministry are 10%, 86% and 99% for capital, overheads and personnel expenditure, respectively.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja
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