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The Senate on Thursday queried the sum of N800 million requested for purchase of security equipment by the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
The query was handed down to NIWA Acting Managing Director, Danladi Ibrahim when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Marine Transport to defend the Authority’s 2018 budget at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
The committee wondered why the Authority requested for N800 million in the 2018 budget for purchase of security equipment, the same amount it received in 2017 budget for the same purpose.
It said that out of the N800 million, the Authority spent N790 million in 2017 which is over 90 percent of the appropriated fund.
Chairman of the committee, Ahmed Sani Yerima observed that the Authority failed to provide details and specifications of how it planned to spend the money it requested for approval.
Yerima said, “You said you want to do something; the same amount last year, the same amount this year. There are no details, no explanations, no form of specification whatsoever. This is unacceptable.”
A member of the committee, Mohammed Hassan, suggested that Ibrahim and his team be asked to go back and do the right thing.
Another member of the committee, Chukwuka Utazi frowned at the poor preparation of the budget document.
Utazi said, “Budget preparation is a professional job. It is a public document. Anybody who looks at what you have prepared will not know your intention. It is only what you have presented that will be considered, not your intention. If you don’t know how to do it you bring in consultants. If you go to other West African countries, things are done properly. When you come to Nigeria, things change. It is unacceptable.”
Responding, Ibrahim told the committee that the security equipment is not meant for one place alone, adding that the 2017 approval was the first time the Authority was receiving fund for capital projects.
Not satisfied with the explanation, Yerima ordered the Authority to furnish the committee with necessary details about every item in its budget at a subsequent day.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
