Senate queries Lai Mohammed over poor IGR from culture, entertainment
The Senate on Tuesday subjected Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed to intense questioning over poor revenues generated from the culture and entertainment industry.
At a budget defence session with the minister and other officials of the ministry, the Senate committee on Culture and Tourism declared that it was unfortunate that the ministry presented only N620,000 as total revenue generated in 2016.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, noted that the budget should not only be about expenditure but also about revenue profile.
He said the Senate was displeased with the paltry revenue.
Senator Urhoghide said: “Budget is not just about expenditure. No one is talking about revenue. We need revenue profile. Each time you come, only expenditure is mentioned. How can you say is N620,000.00 that was raised by your ministry from the culture sector?
“We must exhaust all the avenues to generate funds internally. We seriously frown at the low and poor IGR. We query it. You must look inward because this is not acceptable.”
Senator Urhoghide who also queried the Minister for misdirecting the appropriated funds for land acquisition said that in 2016, the Senate appropriated the sum of N60,000,000 to acquire lands in Lagos, Adamawa and Edo States states for the establishment of cultural industries.
He said the Minister, instead, used the released money to acquire lands in Lagos and Adamawa, leaving Edo State, just as he said that the initial budget was to accommodate six states but reduced to three. He added that instead of the three, the Minister went to two states.
But Mohammad on his own part attributed the problem of proper and full implementation of the budget to inadequate appropriation as well as the delay in the release of funds. He also listed the cumbersome nature of procurement process as another reason.
According to him, there was also the challenge of partial release of appropriated amount, just as he called for the placement of culture and tourism on the residual list.
He said the current structure makes it difficult for the government to regulate the sector, adding that there was also the lack of political will to develop the sector, as well as the absence of ‘convention bureau’ to attract big-time events to Nigeria as a tourism destination.
He said: “There are several challenges/constraints militating against the smooth implementation of the required programmes/projects. Some of these are inadequate appropriation; delay in the release of funds; cumbersome nature of procurement process; partial release of appropriated amount; late passage of Appropriation Act; placement of culture and tourism on the residual list, which has made it difficult to regulate the sector; lack of political will to develop the sector and absence of convention bureau to attract big-time events to Nigeria as a tourism destination.”
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37 Comments
MR LIE MOHAMMED IS A THIEF AND A LOOTER. NO FUNDS SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO HIM FOR GENERATING SUCH A LOW RETURNS FROM CULTURAL EVENTS. HE IS TOTAL FRAUD. IN FACT THERE IS NO RELEVANCE OF THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS WHEN POOR MASSES OF NIGERIA CANNOT GET TWO SQUARE MEALS A DAY. THE MAN IS A TOTAL FRAUD.
Shup up, what do you know than ranting nonsense as usual.
He is the enemy of progress…. He doesn’t want way forward for this country
That is a lie, Nigeria will surely move forward.
You must be silly were is your thief metuh who stole 400 million, kudos to lai Mohammed his a man of honest And I know that he has been working hard to make sure that his ministry of information and culture are working well
HMIC is transparent and against corruption, every reasonable Nigerian knows that
Ode…u should be ashamed….saying rubbish against d HMIC…becos thieves in da senate house re crying cause nothing to steal
You are a proven lunatic who has lost his sense of reasoning, culture ministry is long dead, previous administration has not invested or think about it until now, why making fool of yourself in a public forum.
What does he know but to lie to gullible Nigerians.
HMIC is really a man of honesty and incorruptibility, stop saying trash against the minister
Dont mind him
the minister is a slimy crook, a master thief and a propagandist.
Your criticism does not stop the good work of our incorruptible minister Lai Muhammad
Yes o… But our senators are the thieves
Those senators are only looking for what to steal , tourism have not been on track since 1999 not until lai Mohammed came on board that was when I know that tourism is now coming back to life
foreigners want to come here to be killed, kidnapped??? are you joking???
you must be a paid troll of mr lie mohammed?? there are many like you on this forum.
Counter issue raised and stop making fool of yourself in public forum
continue to crawl on this forum, that is your habit by nature.
Yes now……
You really caught them red-handed
Stop missing it up, HMIC is not lying he his saying the truth and doing his job in the right way.
his paid internet troll????
Is what you are
You are nothing but a great fool
You don’t need to dictate to what he said……. He is not normal
Abi ooo
Look dis empty vessel..sailing on the motor road…check urself before u make comment
Gbenu sohun jare…..
You this stupid thing
Culture ministry has long gone, Alh Lai Mohammed is trying to revive it… give kudos to those who deserves it, or walk of here with your hands covering your face with shame
As long as money keeps flowing from the oil wells of Niger Delta, why bother about internally generated revenue?
Those senators who are questioning lai Mohammed about the revenue of tourism are all sick are they the one to tell HMIC what to do
Those senators are only after their pockets
Which of them is better Dan HMIC…them re bunch of thieves and incompetent senators
yes his ministry of misinformation and lies is working well by giving jobs to his trolls on this forum.
What is the problem of this stupendous idiot
Senates, there is no money to loot again o….
Nigerians are now wise…..
Senates, we know your plan for……. Looking for money that you will loot…
God bless Nigeria and God bless buhari and his cabinets…….
You cant see penny to siphon….. You this foolish thieves
We will review and take appropriate action.