Hydrological agency presents faulty, unrealistic budget to Reps, told to reappear on Monday

The House of Representatives Committee on Hydrological Services has rejected the Nigeria Hydrological Agency’s 2024 Budget and called for a re-presentation of same on Monday December 18, 2023 at 10:00am unfailingly.

The Committee chaired by Hon.Pascal Agbodike who gave the ruling at the National Assembly said that the agency failed to abide by the provision of the 2023 Appropriation Act and had exceeded its approval limit in its last budget as regards implementation.

He said that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) had expressly given the apex legislative institution-the National Assembly the powers to critically scrutinize and approve or reject the ministries, departments and agencies annual budgets

The Anambra born lawmaker further stated that the House would not pass into law anything that comes from the executive arm of government as budget.

He said: “Sincerely, I noted the observation raised by members at this budget session.

“I look at it as not a deliberate act but may be a mistake from the staff. I ‘ll give you Monday morning to re-appear.

“The Committee will give you a list of items requested of you in this budget”.

At the budget session, a member of the House Committee Hon.Ahmed Jaha had raised many issues on the line by line items of the budget and stated that there are many unjustified expenditures on the agency’s 2023 budget.

The lawmaker had pointed out that the details of the overhead and capital sub-heads in the previous years budget is not very clear adding that there must be justification for payment of contactors while projects are still on-going.

He added that the state of projects being executed by contractors, the date of award of contract and specific amount of money paid to contractor ought to ‘ve been reflected in the previous budget of the agency.

Earlier in his presentation of the 2024 budget estimates before the lawmakers, the Director-General of the agency Engr.Clement Nze told the Committee that a total of N1,266,140,944.00 and N118,410,914.00 was earmarked for the office as capital and recurrent expenditures respectively.

He also said that the agency’s approved budget for 2023 was N453,962,977.00 while the same amount of money was released and also utilized 100% by the agency.

He added that the budget is to help the agency in monitoring of floodings as well as whatever happens at the two major rivers in Nigeria Viz: River Niger and Benue and sundry issues.