Finance Minister Clashes With Reps Panel Over Budget Implementation

It was a rowdy league astatine the gathering of the House of Representatives Committee connected Appropriations with Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, implicit the dilatory gait of implementation of the 2024–2025 Appropriations Act (budget) connected Wednesday.

This followed the Finance Minister’s disclosure that lone 80% of the 2024 fund had been implemented for astir 2 years aft that peculiar Appropriation Act was enacted.

Though the gathering was held down closed doors, sources determination confided successful LEADERSHIP that lawmakers were aggravated that the mediocre implementation of the fund affected their constituency projects.

According to the sources who pleaded anonymity, revelations astatine the gathering turned the interface into a shouting lucifer arsenic lawmakers kept the concern curate lasting for astir 5 minutes.

They said the aggravated members who said this disfigured improvement threatened their re-election ,vowed to rise a question to quash the argumentation propounded by the concern ministry, which they believed was unfair to them.

“The closed-door gathering was rowdy due to the fact that lawmakers were aggravated that the 80% implementation of the 2024 fund affected their constituency projects, which they could usage during campaigns for re-election successful 2027.

“Some members adjacent vowed to determination a question to summon the curate of concern upon resumption, to array earlier the House the fund performance, revenue, and expenditure truthful far, arsenic good arsenic the organisation of expended funds from the budget, ” said. sources.

“Members are deed by this infraction perpetuated by the concern minister, which adjacent the fund and readying curate seems uncomfortable with, due to the fact that helium was unaware of the determination to halt lawmakers’ projects nominated into the budget,” the sources echoed.

Briefing journalists aft the meeting, which was held down closed doors, the president of the House Committee connected Appropriations, Hon. Abubakar Bichi (APC, Kano), said lawmakers, similar galore Nigerians, were progressively disquieted astir the level of fund execution.

“We person engaged with the Ministers of Finance and Budget; some acknowledged the concerns and assured america of their committedness to enactment harder truthful that Nigerians tin spot disposable results from the budget.

“Our members are earnestly concerned, and the ministers person promised that Nigerians volition witnesser important changes and developments earlier the extremity of this year. They person fixed america their word, and we volition beryllium monitoring closely,” helium said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Finance, Edun, said arsenic of September 2025, astir 80 per cent of the 2024 fund had been implemented.

“Overall, implementation is astatine astir 80 per cent. As you know, the National Assembly extended the 2024 fund till December, truthful it is inactive running.

“We besides reviewed the 2025 budget, focusing connected grassroots projects and captious infrastructure specified arsenic roads, irrigation, and different facilities that straight interaction Nigerians,” Edun said.

The curate added that, “As is customary, we reviewed the fund performance. We looked astatine 2024. Basically, overall, it’s astir 80 per cent. And arsenic you know, the fund for 2024 was extended by the National Assembly until December, truthful it is inactive running. It is inactive a enactment successful progress.

“And likewise, we looked astatine what is happening successful 2025, and we enactment our heads unneurotic to guarantee that, particularly, the projects that interaction the grassroots, that supply support, resources, and facilities, similar irrigation and different infrastructure projects astatine the grassroots level, are focused connected and are fixed capable attraction and priority. So, the treatment is ongoing, and the fund implementation is faithfully followed.”

Also speaking, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Bagudu, said the committee recognised and commended the achievements recorded nether President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He noted that lawmakers peculiarly appreciated the Executive branch’s respect for the National Assembly and the cordial moving narration betwixt some branches of government.

“The National Assembly has supported each large betterment initiatives of this administration, including the caller taxation reforms already yielding results. Our engagement contiguous helped to place areas wherever improvements are inactive required,” helium noted.