Reps Threaten To Recommend Scrapping Agencies Over Unused Funds

Gloria Ikibah

3 hours ago

…as SHESTCO DG Attributes Uncompleted Projects to Envelope Budgeting

By Gloria Ikibah

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Science and Engineering, Rep. Inuwa Garba, has criticized some government agencies for failing to fulfill their mandates since their establishment. He warned that the Committee might recommend their scrapping.

This warning came during the 2024 budget defense and 2025 budget proposal session on Tuesday in Abuja, where the Committee took the Director-General of Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), Paul Onyenekwe, and other officials to task over uncompleted projects and questionable contract awards in Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, and Gombe states.

Rep. Garba highlighted discrepancies in the budget presentations of some agencies, stating that these irregularities raise concerns about their effectiveness, and noted that if such agencies continue to fall short of their responsibilities, the Committee would push for their closure, in line with recommendations from the Steve Oronsaye Report on public sector reforms.

The DG of SHESTCO attributed the challenges faced by the agency to the envelope budgeting system, which he said hampers the completion of critical projects. However, the Committee was unimpressed, insisting on greater accountability and proper utilization of allocated funds.

He said: “Most of their budget is just reputation and to an extent, some don’t even want anybody to know what they are doing. The question you will ask, is different from the answer that you are supposed to get from some of the agencies.

“Though some agencies are very relevant and are up and doing and very effective and supportive to the government policies and programs. When we finish, we are coming out to say our stand as a committee and present our report to the appropriation committee.

“Subsequently, we can make our position and proposal to the House very soon in order to help the government and to help the country”.

Reacting to the agencies involved Inuwa said, “I will not say it now because we are yet to come to a final conclusion. But when we finish, we can call the agencies, call the head of the agencies and say why and how we are making that recommendation.

“If I now come out to call the agency, I’m not doing justice to myself, I’m not doing justice to the committee. I’m only the chairman of the committee. I have other members that are members of the committee.

“A lot of abnormalities is happening in most of the agencies. You can see one budget is repeated 5, 6, 7 years. The money is increasing, some they will say it’s completed and before, in another way they say completion.

“Another year, completion. And they are putting in money. If you go in the same position, the same project, the same agency, only the amount that differs, the same contractor.

“So, honestly, I can’t say I’m comfortable for now. But what we have seen, a lot needs to be done in the budget and procurement process in our agencies, ministries and parastatals, so that we can be able to come up with something that will help the government and the people of this country.

However, Director-General of the Sheda Science and Technology Complex, Onyenekwe blamed the envelope system of budget by the federal government on the non completion of on-going projects in the northern states of the country by the agency.

The DG said that the envelope system of budgeting is to be blamed for non-completion of key projects by the agency.

He informed the Committee that the 2024 budget of the agency was N1.2 billion and that what he did the funds were operationalization of these centres and payment of staff emoluments.

The DG also said that the agency embarked on construction of staff quarters for it’s staff when it discovered that many of them were coming to work in the agency from very remote areas from the office.

“On the 2024 budget review, he said that the agency got N69,569,607,924 00 as capital, N1,007,665.,803 00 as personnel and N382,552.074.00 as overhead cost.

He also stated that they had embarked on construction of drainages and culverts in four northern states of the country namely Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe states.

speaking also at the budget session, a member of the committee Hon.Chinedu Ogar (Ebonyi,APC) accused the agency of repeatedly breaching the Act of National Assembly by refusing to remit untilized funds to the federal government.