Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

In demanding clarifications over non-execution of the budgeted item with taxpayers’ money, the Nigerian Senate has tackled Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Honourable Minister for Information and Culture, over a controversial project fully funded by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning slated for execution by his ministry in the 2020 fiscal year.

It was learnt the project was tagged ‘ERPG 10145116’, and was listed as ‘completion of NTA Gashua sub-station ongoing’.

The project had its allocation of N250million fully released to the ministry but not implemented.

Alhaji Mohammed Tuesday, November 3 had led other top officials of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to the Senate to defend their proposed 2021 Budget estimates.

Senator Abdullahi Sankara, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information, however, insisted that the Minister has a lot of explanations to make on the said project.

According to Sen. Sankara, it was 100 percent release of funds without any work commensurate with the full releases done on sight till date.

The argument over the project was said to have started when Mohammed explained that the project was sponsored by a lawmaker as a constituency project and inserted the same into his ministry’s 2020 Budget.

However, the Senators present at the panel took exception to the Minister’s explanation in this regard.

The lawmakers took turns to query the minister over the project, insisting that it was not a constituency project, report said.