Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator (Dr) George Akume, on Tuesday, appeared before the Senate Commitee on Special Duties in the National Assembly for the defence of the 2022 budget estimates of the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs.
He was accompanied by staff members of the ministry among whome were the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador (Mrs) Anthonia Ekpa, Directors, and Heads of Parastatals under the Ministry.
The budget defence session was presided over by the Senate Commitee Chairman on Special Duties, Senator Yusuf Abubakar, alongside Senator Digi, Senator Dauda Jika, Senator Kabiru Barkiya and Senator Shetima.
The Senate Committee, after a long session of due diligence in assessing the previous budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, commended the minister, Senator Akume, for ensuring fiscal discipline, prudence, transparency and accountability in the budgetary allocations and expenditure profile of the Ministry in carrying out its statutory responsibilities as contained in the Presidential mandate of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Senator Akume, in his remarks, identified some prevailing statutory challenges facing the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, which among others, included shortfalls in the funds and financial allocations for monitoring of constituency projects and supervision of the activities and performance of other ministries, departments and agencies of government as contained in the presidential mandate of the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs.
The minister further called on the Senate Committee members to augment the 2022 budgetary allocations to the Ministry in order to fast track its prompt, effective and efficient formulation and implementation policies, projects and programmes towards lifting Nigerians out of poverty as also contained in the presidential mandate of the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs.
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