The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), on Thursday said the ministries of Finance and Works and Housing inflated its 2021 budget by over N11bn.
Managing Director of FERMA, Mr. Nurudeen Rafindadi, spoke while defending the ministry’s 2021 budget before members of the House of Representatives Committee on FERMA.
The committee had asked the FERMA boss why the agency’s budget had a sudden increase of over N11 billion.
A member of the committee, Yusuf Gadgi, who asked the question, said, “Earlier to this moment, we are privileged to know your budget proposal to the ministry which before getting to National Assembly the proposal changed from twenty something billion, to thirty something billion.
“I will respectfully want you to address that aspect. Are you in charge of FERMA, how come before the proposal got to National Assembly, it was increased upwards?
“If it was increased, confirm to us now, if it was not increased confirm to us. And if it was increased, who is responsible for the increment with what you defended during your inter ministerial defence; and coming to National Assembly, and amount of over N11 billion was increased in the proposal you have earlier submitted. We want that confirmation from you.”
Responding to the question, the FERMA boss said, “Our proposal of budget as it is today is submitted to the Federal Ministry of Works and the reason is that FERMA is an agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Works. We are represented at the cabinet by the Minister of Works.
“Our budget is in the envelope of the ministry so the ministry is asked to submit their budget within that envelope and it includes budgets of agencies under the ministry of which FERMA is one. So we get instructions to submit our budget through the Ministry of Works, we submitted to them.
“And yes it is true, we submit our budget to the ministry, what happens after is between the ministry, then Ministry of Finance, Budget and Natonal Planning until subsequently it reaches the House of Representatives.
“We only know what was in our budget after submission. We have since gotten the budget of FERMA as submitted to National Assembly and we have been analysing the differences between the two budget like you said.”
The lawmakers had earlier refused to allow the agency to present its 2021 budget over lack of execution of the 2020 budget.
The lawmakers accused me the agency of being irresponsible and unresponsive to its core mandate.
Some of the lawmakers said they had called the MD of FERMA to alert him on the sorry state of some roads and he refused to pick their calls.
Untitled Document
You can always reach us through these channels
Facebook:https:/www.facebook.com/ancitymedia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ancitymedia
Youtube Channel:https://youtube.com/@ancitymedia
Phone Numbers: 07062501185, 09038738731
E-Mail: info@ancity.com.ng, anambracity@gmail.com
Copyright.
This Post: FERMA says ministries of Finance and Works and Housing inflated its 2021 budget by 11bn was approved and published by Ancity Media Editor and may not be republished elsewhere without prior written permission from the Editor.
