The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has officially kicked off its oversight functions for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in 2023, stating the need for strict adherence to budgetary provisions.
Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Honorable Solomon Akwashiki, made this announcement when the management of the office of the State Deputy Governor and Head of Civil Service appeared before the committee on their 2023 budget performance today in Lafia.
Akwashiki, who also serves as the Minority Whip of the House, revealed that this initiative was prompted by a directive from the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, to conduct oversight functions for MDAs. He stated that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowers them to assess the budget performance of these offices, specifically requesting them to provide a clear breakdown of their budget performance from January to the current date.
“Mr Speaker, Rt.Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi has directed us to embark on an oversight function to MDAs.
“As the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has empowered us to oversight your offices in order to assess your 2023 budget performance.
“You are to state clearly the percentage of your budget performance from January to date,” he said.
He Further, urged the management of MDAs to act with transparency and sincerity in their presentations.
Polar Zeigi, the Permanent Secretary of the Deputy Governor’s office, appreciated the committee’s diligent work and the House’s commitment to passing legislation and resolutions that directly impact the lives of the state’s residents. He noted that there had been overspending on salaries and fuel, attributed to the absorption of casual staff and rising fuel prices.
The committee also engaged with the management of the Head of Civil Service, led by Alhaji Umar Idris, Permanent Secretary of the Civil Service Secretariat.
