The Kogi State House of Assembly has issued a stern warning to the Ministry of Solid Minerals and the Kogi State Solid Mineral Development Agency to appear before it on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, or face the risk of having zero budget allocation for the year 2024.
The House Standing Committee on Solid Minerals, chaired by Hon. Omotayo Adeleye Ishaya, re-invited the two agencies on Saturday, after they failed to show up for the budget defense session at the Assembly complex.
The Committee Vice Chairman, Hon Jibril Abu, who represents Ajaokuta State Constituency, expressed his displeasure at the absence of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry and the Director-General of the agency, who he said were the chief accounting officers of their respective departments.
He said that the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, had set a good example by personally presenting the state budget to the House, and that the heads of the MDAs should respect the authority of the legislature and the rule of law.
“It is a big slap on our faces to see some heads of MDAs ignoring the constituted power of this hallow Chamber. The number one Citizen of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, suspended all functions of the State to present the 2024 budget. He respected this Assembly because he has a strong belief in the rule of law. But we are very disappointed that some Heads of MDAs are undermining our powers by sending their subordinates to defend the budget they have a faint knowledge of. For goodness sake, a Permanent Member is the Chief Accounting Officer,” Abu said.
He added that all the MDAs had attended the technical defense of their budget, and that there was no excuse for them not to be ready for the final defense before the House.
“While we acknowledge that the Kogi State Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Hon. Bashiru Gegu, is out for a State function duly transmitted to us earlier, it is totally condemnable and unacceptable that the Permanent Secretary, who is the Chief Accounting Officer of the ministry, failed to appear before us to defend their budget. The House, out of its magnanimity have decided to give them another saving grace to appear before them on Tuesday 19th December 2023. Failure for them to appear, this Hallow Chamber will record zero budget for the ministry of solid minerals in Kogi State,” Abu said.
The Committee Chairman, Hon. Ishaya, urged the two agencies to take the invitation seriously and prepare adequately for the budget defense, as the House would not tolerate any further delay or disrespect.
He said that the House was committed to ensuring that the budget of the state was passed in good time and that the funds were allocated to the sectors that would benefit the people of Kogi State.
He also said that the House was interested in the development of the solid mineral sector, which he said had the potential to generate revenue and create employment for the state.
He said that the House would scrutinize the budget proposals of the Ministry and the agency, and ensure that they were realistic and aligned with the vision of the state government.
He advised the public to follow the budget defense process and hold the MDAs accountable for their performance.