Due to apparent inequities in the Ministry of Regional Development’s budget, members of the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Regional Development were compelled to convene in private on Tuesday.
The MPs questioned Abubakar Momoh, the Minister of Regional Development, about the alleged imbalance in the ministry’s budget, pointing out that Edo State received 70% of the ministry’s projects. When the Minister and the State Minister, Uba Maigari, appeared before the Committee to defend the 2024 budget performance and the 2025 proposal, the Minister was questioned.
The MPs pointed out that Edo State was given preference in the ministry’s budget over other states that were meant to have benefited from its initiatives. The ministry was also questioned for failing to use the federal character concept when putting the former Ministry of Niger Delta’s projects in their proper locations.
According to the MPs, this shouldn’t be the case because the ministry is supposed to represent the interests of the whole Niger Delta. Hon. Matthew Nwogu, a member of the House of Representatives, asked the minister why Edo State was home to 70% of the 2024 projects.
“Mr. Minister, could you please explain why the majority of these 2024 budgets (projects) are located in Edo State?” said Nwogu.
The senator questioned why Edo State received the majority of the projects while other states under the ministry were left out. Rep. Chinedu Ogar, another committee member, also requested that the minister provide an explanation to the committee as to why Edo State is home to 70% of the ministry’s scheduled projects for 2024.
“Honorable Minister, I am happy that you are a product of the National Assembly. My constituents are not happy with this your budget because it negates the constitutional principle of federal character. About 70 percent of your projects are located in Edo state. Why?” Ogar questioned.
Eugene Okechukwu, chairman of the House Committee on Regional Development, called for an executive session to address the issues. After that, the committee adjourned into an executive session to discuss the issue with the minister. The minister had previously informed the members during the presentation of the 2024 budget performance that the House Leader, Prof.
Julius Ihonvbere, of Edo State, had set aside N2 billion for zonal intervention in the ministry’s budget out of the N20 billion allotted to the ministry in 2024 for the capital budget. The minister informed the committee of the ministry’s N28.9 billion budget proposal for 2025, which included N1.6 billion for recurring expenses, N2.7 billion for personnel costs, and N24 billion for capital projects.
According to him, N2 billion was set aside for the Leader of the House of Representatives’ zonal intervention scheme. The minister bemoaned the lack of funding allocated to the Ministry of Regional Development to meet the five regional development commissioners’ development requirements.
He urged the joint committee to boost the ministry’s budget so that it can use the commissions to address regional development concerns.
The minister bemoaned that the ministry had been dealing with a long list of unfinished and abandoned projects, poor performance, and delays in project completion as a result of insufficient budgetary allocation.
