The Senate Committee on Housing and Urban Development on Monday lashed out at the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for approving quarterly releases which fall short of figures appropriated by the National Assembly.
The lawmakers linked the shortfalls to the dismal budget performance of Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The Committee, alongside the Senate committee on Education, also bemoaned the poor performance of the 2012 budget.
Both committees stated this when the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development; and the Ministry of Education appeared separately before them to defend their 2013 budget proposals.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim noted his concern over Dr. Okonjo-Iweala insistence to release N22 billion to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development as against the N41 billion approved by the National Assembly.
Sen. Bukar Abba Ibrahim acknowledged that the committee had received a proposal for N22 billion from the finance ministry for Lands, Housing and Urban Development Ministry, but that the committee decided to increase it to N44 billion to enable the Ministry meet its demands.
Miffed by the revelation, Senator Bukka Abba Ibrahim said, “If the moneys are not available why does the Ministry of Finance keep lying to us that 75 percent of the money has been released. This is difficult to understand.”
He said: “I don’t understand why your Ministry has been able to execute only 43 per cent of projects at this time, and we are in the fourth quarter now.”
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