House Of Reps Demands Full Project Breakdown From Solid Mineral Ministry

House Of Reps Demands Full Project Breakdown From Solid Mineral MinistryThe House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals has instructed the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, to submit a detailed report on the expenditure of funds allocated to the ministry in the 2024 budget. The demand was made during a session where the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mary Ogbe, appeared before the committee to defend the budget.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The committee expressed dissatisfaction with the ministry’s failure to provide specific details on how the allocated funds for 2024 had been spent. Led by Chairman Gbewfi Jonathan Gaza, the committee directed the ministry to submit a comprehensive breakdown of all projects, including budget codes, budget items, allocated amounts, contractors, contract awards, and the status of each project by the following Tuesday.

“We are expecting the budget, but we cannot appropriate if we do not have a clear picture of how the funds allocated for 2024 have been utilized,” Gaza said. He emphasized that the committee had previously sent a detailed list of required documents and that the ministry must now provide information on all relevant projects, including performance percentages and contract details.

“There are several projects that were not included in the presentation, and no explanation was given,” Gaza added, stressing that the committee would not accept incomplete or vague documentation. “Every line must be adhered to, and we need all the relevant details, including advertisements, contractors, and approval codes. Even if the project is pending before the Federal Executive Council (FEC), include that information in the remarks section.”

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ogbe, who represented Minister Dele Alake, disclosed that a total of ₦25.05 billion was appropriated for the ministry’s 2024 budget. This sum includes ₦894.4 million for overhead costs and ₦23.15 billion for capital expenditure. Ogbe explained that personnel costs for the ministry are still included in the Ministry of Steel Development’s budget for 2024, as the personnel separation process has not been fully completed.

Ogbe further provided details on the appropriation releases for the ministry. She noted that for overhead costs, ₦745.37 million had been released as of October 31, 2024, representing 83% of the total appropriation, with 100% of the overhead release spent. For capital expenditure, ₦2.72 billion had been released, marking 11% of the total appropriation, with a 100% utilization rate for that portion as well. However, she clarified that the low capital expenditure release was due to ongoing procurement processes and pending FEC approvals.

“The 100% performance is for non-debt recurrent expenditure, while the capital expenditure utilization stands at 11% because procurement is still in progress and some approvals are awaited,” Ogbe concluded.

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