Key government officials came under intense scrutiny on Thursday during the ongoing 2025 budget defence sessions in the Senate.
During the budget defence sessions, the Senate Committees on Appropriation, Information, and National Orientation grilled the ministers and heads of agencies, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, and the Director-General of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ali Mohammed Ali, over the performance of the 2024 budget and their proposals for the 2025 fiscal year.
At the Senate Committee on Appropriation hearing, Finance Minister Edun and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, faced heated questions on the implementation of the 2024 budget, particularly its capital expenditure component.
Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) demanded clarity on how proceeds from the removal of fuel subsidies were utilized in the 2024 fiscal year.
“What is the budget performance achieved so far for 2024, particularly in terms of capital expenditure? We haven’t heard from the minister how much has been saved from the removal of fuel subsidies and how much has been expended,” Ningi queried.
“How much have we used to service our debt in 2024? How much are we expecting to spend on debt servicing in 2025? Finally, will the Minister of Finance guarantee that the extension of the capital component of the 2024 budget to June 30, 2025 will yield the desired results in terms of implementation, given the current low performance?” he further asked.
The barrage of questions unsettled the Finance Minister, who requested a closed-door session to provide a detailed response.
“Are we in a closed-door session? If not, I humbly request one for detailed explanations on the questions raised,” Edun said.
Following his request, the Committee Chairman, Senator Solomon Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West), instructed journalists to leave the room for a private session.
Also in a separate budget defence session with the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, the heads of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) were asked to rework their 2025 budget proposals.
The committee, chaired by Senator Kenneth Eze (APC, Ebonyi Central), expressed dissatisfaction with the presentation by NOA’s DG, Issa-Onilu, particularly on the agency’s National Identity Project. The committee members argued that the project’s impact was not visible to Nigerians, especially those at the grassroots level.
However, Issa-Onilu defended the project, insisting that it was crucial for instilling the right value system in Nigerians.
“The challenge we have regarding the value system is tied to national identity, which is essential for nation-building, development, and growth,” he stated.
Despite his defence, the committee directed the NOA DG to return with a revised proposal that aligns with the agency’s mandate for 2025.
Similarly, the NAN DG, Ali, was instructed to reconcile discrepancies in his agency’s 2024 budget implementation figures before presenting projections for 2025.
