Olusegun Ariyo
The Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives has recommended the removal of the National Examination Council, University of Ibadan, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, and 21 other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, from the 2025 budget.
The committee stated that the recommendation was due to the repeated failure of these MDAs to account for previous budgetary allocations and internally generated revenue.
The resolution was reached during an extraordinary sitting held on Wednesday in Abuja.
Bamidele Salam, the chairman, said members of the committee unanimously recommended that the 24 MDAs be excluded from the 2025 budget until they appear and provide the necessary clarifications.
The agencies recommended for delisting include Federal Medical Centre, Bida; Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment; Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria; Nigeria Police Force’s Department of Information and Communication Technology; Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta State; Federal College of Education, Yola, Adamawa State; Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi; Federal University of Technology, Minna; Cross River Basin Development Authority; Nigeria Office for Trade Negotiation; National Examination Council; Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil; Presidential Amnesty Programme; Galaxy Backbone; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, among others.
Salam stated: “The Financial Regulation empowers the National Assembly to exclude any Ministry, Department, or Agency that fails to account for their previous appropriations.
“As such, the listed MDAs should be excluded from the 2025 budget until they appear before this constitutional committee.”
