Sadiya Farouq claims ignorance of N206bn inserted into her ministry’s budget
Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, told the Senate on monday that she was unaware of how N206 billion was inserted into her Ministry’s budget by the Ministry of Finance.
Appearing before the Senator Yusuf Yusuf, led Senate Committee on Special Duties to defend the 2023 Budget, Farouq claimed that the Ministry made requests for projects for the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and National Social Safety Net Project in 2022 budget which was not released, but the Ministry was surprised that money was now 10 times more in the 2023 Budget of the Ministry.
Things got further heated when a member of the Committee, Senator Elisha Abbo, APC, Adamawa North asked the Minister about the N206 billion in the budget budget.
Abbo asked the Minister thus, “What programmes do you implement in National Social Safety Nets?
“Few days ago we had a course to summon Minister of Finance when we were considering the ministry of health and primary health care. We observed N301 billion was inserted in the budget of 2023 which will be funded through multilateral and bilateral loans.
“We asked the Minster to give us the details of the activities and projects that will be implemented with this money and he said he wasn’t the one that he was not the one that it was the Ministry of Finance.
“In 2023, you intend to borrow N206 billion for this same project. What are the projects to be implemented in that. Is it captured in MTEF. If it is, are the specific project location activities attached to this.”
Responding, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, said, “Yes we made mention of the projects for 2022 which was not released and part of it was part for the NEDC.
“The money was not released and now we have seen it recurring by almost 10 folds and we are also going to clarify from the Ministry of Finance to know why this increase despite the fact that the previous year, the money was not even released for the project.
“So we will get the details then send to you on that.”
(Vanguard)
