Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama have been summoned by the Senate over the implementation of the 2013 budget.
Okonjo-Iweala and Ngama will answer questions from members of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriation on reasons for revenue failings.
They will also brief the Senate on the level of implementation of the 2013 budget — which the National Assembly passed on 20th December 2012 and was assented to by President Goodluck Jonathan on 15th February 2013 — especially on matters relating to releases to ministries, department and agencies of the federal government.
Both ministers were invited after Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) and 13 others sponsored a motion titled: 2013 budget and Alleged Over-bloated Revenue Estimates.”
In his arguments, Ningi reminded the upper the upper chamber of Ngama’s recent statement that the National Assembly over-bloated the 2013 budget, thereby rendering it unimplementable.
Ngama, though, had since denied any such statement; and President of the Senate, David Mark further confirmed that Ngama formally wrote him to deny ever saying it anywhere that the National Assembly over bloated the 2013 budget.
