House of Representatives Demands Personal Appearance for Budget Defense

In a significant turn of events, the House of Representatives has rejected the representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) at a recent budget defense session.

Insisting on a more personal engagement, the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abubakar Bichi, stressed the need for the heads of these agencies to appear in person to discuss their 2024 budget proposals.

The rejection came as a surprise move during the committee’s budget defense session in Abuja on Friday.

Bichi stated that the heads of revenue agencies, including the CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, FIRS Chairman Zach Adedeji, and Customs Comptroller General Bashir Adeniyi, were duly invited for the interactive session.

He emphasised the importance of their presence, urging them to discuss revenue projections and contribute to the economic goals outlined in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

This development follows closely on the heels of another committee’s decision to issue a warrant of arrest for CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, among others, for refusing to appear before the Committee on Public Petitions to address questions related to the oil sector.

Bichi, reiterating concerns about the low revenue profile, stressed the necessity for Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs) to aim for higher revenue targets to alleviate the overall budget deficit.

The committee aims to collaborate with the revenue-generating agencies to support President Tinubu’s economic vision.

Source: Premium Times