Reps panel halts budgetary allocation to labour ministry over extra-budgetary expenditure

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives has directed the stoppage of budgetary allocation to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment over alleged extra-budgetary expenditure.

Other departments, agencies of government, and institutions of higher learning affected by the directive of the Mr. Bamidele Salam-led panel are the National Examination Council (NECO), University of Ibadan (UI), Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria Police Force: Department of Information and Communication Technology, Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba, Delta State.

They also include the Federal College of Education, Yola, Adamawa State; the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State; the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi; the Federal University of Technology, Minna; the Cross River Basin Development Authority; the Nigeria Office for Trade Negotiation; the National Examination Council; the Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil; the Presidential Amnesty Programme; Galaxy Backbone; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals.

Additionally, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Nigeria Nuclear Regulatory Authority, National Space Research and Development Agency, Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan, Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, and Federal School of Survey, Oyo State were affected.

This resolution was reached during an extraordinary sitting of the Public Accounts Committee held on Wednesday at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

The decision, which follows the persistent non-compliance of these MDAs with the Committee’s summons aimed at scrutinising their financial operations, was made after the alleged refusal of the aforementioned outfits to attend the scheduled hearings or provide the necessary documentation requested by the Committee.

Salam said, “The Financial Regulation empowers the National Assembly to exclude any Ministry, Department, or Agency (MDA) 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.”

The committee thereby directed that the 24 MDAs should be excluded from the 2025 budget until they appear and provide the necessary clarifications.