Why Reps Reject Communications Ministry’s Budget Presentation

THE House of Representatives Committee on Telecommunications has turned down the budget presentation of Ministry of Communications for its inefficiency in the preparation of the documents on the Ministry’s 2017 Budget performance as well as 2018 budget projection.

The Committee, on Tuesday during an oversight visit to the Ministry specifically rejected further discussions on the presentation after discovering many irregularities in figures quoted in the exiguous documents prepared to explain the performance of last year’s budget and the 2018 budgetary projections.

The Minister, Barrister Adebayo Shittu had earlier in his presentation said, “it is projected that revenue generation from sale of forms, spectrum licenses and renewal fees and other sources in 2018 would rise to about N1,300,000,000 (One Billion Three Hundred Million Naira), twice the size of last year because of the envisaged installation of Radio Monitoring Equipment”.

A member of the Committee, Hon. Anayo Edward, punctured the minister’s claim. The lawmaker further noted that the 2018 revenue projection of One Billion, Three Hundred Million Naira (N1,300,000,000) doubled the revenue projection in the preceding year which was Six Hundred Million Naira (N600,000,000).

Hon. Anayo informed that it was wrong to say the 2018 revenue projection doubled that of 2017 because the difference between the two figures is more than half, adding that such assertion is misleading.

Similarly, Hon. Abiodun Awoleye, having scanned through the documents observed lack of correlation in figures on pages of a document served members. Also, he condemned the nebulous figures quoted.

In a related development, another member of the committee, Hon. Kehinde Odeneye queried the ministry for not stating the status of the Rural Telephone Project for which money was appropriated in last year’s budget, adding that the minister did not specify where the projects are located and if they are working.

Other members who also frowned at the presentation were not comfortable with irregularities in figures quoted on pages of another document presented.

Hon. Anayo, however asked the chairman to discontinue the presentation saying it is against parliamentary procedure to work on an incorrect or uncompleted document because doing so will be efforts in futility.

He, therefore urged his colleagues to reject the plea by the Committee Chairman, Hon. Saheed Fijabi, that the Minister should be given the chance to answer questions raised by members.

Remarking, Hon. Awoleye hinted that this would not be the first time the Ministry will be making an un-coordinated presentation and submitting incorrect documents to the Committee. The lawmaker who is from Oyo state added that it would be wrong for the Committee to entertain further comments on the presentation. Rather, he supported the suggestion raised by his colleague, Hon. Anayo that the Ministry make a re-presentation.

On his own part, Hon. Odeneye said it is amazing that in a few pages documents, almost ten errors were detected. He said it is wrong for members to be making corrections on the document, rather, he said the ministry should correct the documents and re-present them during budget defence at the National Assembly.

Overwhelmed by his members’ decisions, the Chairman, Hon. Fijabi finally acceded to members request for a re-presentation. “I think there would not be any room for the discussion of the document based on irregularities discovered. Like my members have said, I think the ministry has to correct the documents and present it again during the budget defence.

“As I said earlier, our visit is a basic parliamentary one in furtherance of our duty to look into the books of the ministry. We are here to perform our duty, nobody is here to witch hunt anybody”, he explained.

Barr. Shittu who admitted  the errors and taking full responsibility for the irregularities, on behalf of the ministry apologized to the House Committee, saying that there was no justification for the inefficiency.

The minister said, “I want to apologise on behalf of the Ministry. I want to take full responsibility for these mistakes and want to assure you that we will put our house in order.

“I want to assure you that before the end of this week, we must have made necessary corrections present a correct document to the office of the Committee chairman”, he promised.