Reps committee seeks exclusion of 22 agencies from budget estimates
More Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) yesterday took turns to defend their 2026 budget proposals, as the House of Representatives moved to exclude 22 federal institutions from budgetary allocations over alleged lack of accountability.
Among the affected agencies are the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).
Others include the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC); the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development; the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development; the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria; and the FCT Secondary Education Board.
Also listed are the Federal University of Gashua; Federal Polytechnic, Ede; Federal Polytechnic, Offa; Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri; FMC, Makurdi; FMC, Bida; Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Owerri; FMC, Birnin Kebbi; FMC, Katsina; Federal Government College, Kwali; Federal Government Boys’ College, Garki; and Federal Government College, Rubochi.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Bamidele Salam, said the MDAs not only failed to properly account for public funds but also refused to comply with legislative oversight.
Salam said the agencies ignored repeated invitations and directives to respond to audit queries contained in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s annual reports for three consecutive years—2020, 2021 and 2022.
