The Senate on Thursday took on the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, over how much the Federal Government has saved and spent since the removal of fuel subsidy in June 2023.
Edun, who appeared before the Senate for the defence of the 2025 budget, was also taken to task on how much the Federal Government is spending on debt servicing.
In a dramatic move, however, the minister, who appeared to be unprepared for these questions, hurriedly requested a closed-door session with the lawmakers to provide answers.
Edun’s trouble began when questions were asked by some members of the appropriation committee on the state of implementation of the 2024 budget, especially the capital component.
While struggling for answers, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) urged Edun to explain how proceeds from fuel subsidy removal were spent in the 2024 fiscal year.
Ningi asked, “What is the budget performance achieved so far for the 2024 fiscal year, particularly in terms of capital expenditure?
“We haven’t heard from the minister how much has been saved from the removal of fuel subsidy and how much has been expended.
“We also haven’t heard from the ministers about debt servicing. How much have we actually used to service our debt in 2004?
“How much are we expecting to service debts in 2005? Finally, will the Minister of Finance guarantee that the extension of the capital component of the 2024 budget to June 30, 2025, will give the desired results in terms of implementation that has a very low percentage now?”
In what appeared a lack of readiness for the questions, Edun said, “Are we in a closed door session? If we are not in a closed door session, I will humbly seek for (sic) that, for detailed explanations on the questions asked,” he said.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Solomon Olamilekan ( APC Ogun West ), thereafter, asked accredited journalists covering the Senate to excuse them for the closed-door session.
Also grilled by the lawmakers on Thursday were the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning counterpart, Atiku Bagudu and the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu,.
Both also had a tough time defending their respective 2025 budget proposals.
Also placed on a hot seat was the Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria, Mr Ali Mohammed.
While Edun and Bagudu were grilled by the Senate Committee on Appropriation, the heads of NOA and NAN had a tough afternoon with the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation.
The NOA DG and his counterpart in NAN were ordered to draft afresh and present their budgetary proposals for 2025 fiscal year.
The committee chaired by Senator Kenneth Eze (APC, Ebonyi Central), tackled the NOA DG on the National Identity Project being implemented by the agency, describing it as unknown to Nigerians.
But the NOA DG, justified the significance of the project, saying, “The challenge we have about value system is about national identity which is very necessary at galvanising Nigerians for nation building, national development and growth,” he said.
It was the same for the NAN boss, who was told to go and reconcile the figures presented in the 2024 budget implementation before seeking the nod of the National Assembly for appropriation in the 2025 budget.
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