|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
…poor implementation of capital projects
The House of Representatives Committee on Industry on Monday queried management of Industrial Training Fund (ITF) over duplication of projects worth billions of naira in the 2016 fiscal year.
Some of the sub-heads identified by members of the Committee including Sunday Karimi (PDP-Kogi), Wale Raji (APC-Lagos) are: N1.305 billion for procurement of office and equipment, N1945 billion spent on staff emolument, N2.959 billion spent on office equipment, N1.419 billion for workshop tools and equipment, N80 million released out of N224.850 million proposed for land in Bauchi state as well as N6.3 billion reimbursement accrued to ITF.
The lawmakers who expressed displeasure over the low implementation of capital expenditure despite the release of funds, frowned at the non-execution of Industrial and Model Skills Training Centres (ISTC) aimed at enhancing Federal Government’s industrial revolution plan.
Speaking during the 2016 budget appraisal and 2017 budget defence of ITF, Husaini Abubakar, chairman House Committee on Industry, explained that the requests became necessary in order to guide the agency against breach of annual Appropriation Act.
While questioning the rationale behind low performance of 2016 capital expenditure of the agency which stood at N3.83 billion or 63.52 percent, Abubakar explained that it was necessary for the Committee to have a knowledge of the strength and distribution of staff of the agency.
“We need to have the nominal roll and the your recruitment programme for this year so that you don’t flout the Appropriation laws.
“We have seen situations whereby agencies recruit workers that were not included in the Appropriation Act only to discover that six, seven months salaries could not be paid,” Abubakar said.
In his remarks, Sunday Karimi, frowned at the budget ray provision for some ongoing projects for which monies were allocated in 2016 but were not supplied and appeared in the 2017 budget proposal.
On his part, Wale Raji, a member of the Committee, who expressed reservation over establishment of 37 ITF offices across the country, urged the Fund to explore Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for its expansion programme.
While responding to inquiries on non-availability of details of line items in the budget document submitted to the Committee, Joseph Ari, ITF Director General he Committee assured of providing the relevant documents.
According to Ari, out of the N39.016 billion income expected in 2016, the sum of N26.133 (66.98%) was achieved, while from the N33.004 billion proposed expenditure, the actual expenditure stood at N24.775 billion (63.52%) implementation level as at 31st December 2016.
For year 2017, total sum of N40,517,364,443 income is expected in 2017 out of which N37.841 billion is expected from Training (contributory) Fund and N1.722 billion is from course fees while N1,503,564,443 is expected from other sources.
On the expenditure side, total sum of N34,655,500,037 is for recurrent while N5,861,864,386 is for capital project.
He noted that the sum of N2 billion was expended on Technical Vocational Training being a backbone of the nation’s economy rather than depending on managerial training in 2016.
Ari who adduced the low performance of capital component of the 2016 budget on the fund released,
He also explained that despite having 37 Area Offices and four Training Centers around the country, ITF is still not represented in some States.
Ari who resumed office about three months ago however said it was the determination of the agency to redirect training of the Nigerian youths towards technologically inclined sectors.
He noted that the five Industrial and Model Skills Training Centres (ISTC) were meant for technological growth of the country.
While he lamented that funding stalled the completion of the projects that commenced in 2011, the ITF helmsman however noted that Abuja center is billed for commissioning in the first quarter of 2017.
According to him, the upgrade of Aba Area office to ISTC was also affected by finding issue, which was responsible for non-allocation of budget for it in 2017.
He however said being a hub of technological and industrial activities, Aba has been prioritised for upgrade by the agency.
