Senator Agom Jarigbe, Chairman of the committee, made these remarks during a budget defense session in
He said that the budget did not sufficiently address
Jarigbe noted that President
He criticized the allocation of
He said, "The joint-committee observes with utter dismay, the non-provision of those projects and palliatives in the 2024 Appropriation Bill, which has been made available to the joint-committee.
"The budget of the
"A capital budget of N5.8bn for a ministry that is critical to achieving the Natural Gas Revolution Policy of the Federal Government and ameliorating the hardship imposed on the Masses, smacks of unseriousness."
Jarigbe further raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the activities of the
He stressed the importance of aligning government programs with the provisions of the law and emphasized that neglecting vital projects in the budget might lead to fraudulent activities that would adversely affect citizens.
Additionally, the committee expressed doubts about the accountability of funds allocated for CNG advancement in the country, citing the inability of the steering committee to justify the funds received from the approved N500 billion for palliatives.
"Their activities are shrouded in secrecy and the Ministers of State,
"As a parliament, we do not align ourselves with running government programmes in disregards of the provisions of the Law.
"We cannot achieve what Mr. President wants, without providing for the CNG-Project and other very important projects in the 2024 Appropriations Act.
"Doing so will only open a window for fraud, which will impact negatively on the citizenry. Let it be on record also that the steering committee cannot account for the funds already provided from the N500 billion approved for palliatives for the purpose of CNG advancement in the country," he said.
In response, Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), revealed that the ministry received an allocation of N9.64 billion for 2024, with breakdowns for personnel, overhead costs, and capital expenditure.
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