Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed yesterday openly disowned the N398 million being part of the budget estimates by his ministry meant for the purchase of computers.

Speaking at a budget defence session before the Senate Committe on Information, Mohammed noted that the total sum of N398 million proposed in the budget for the purchase of computers was strange to him.

Reacting to questions on the N230 million and N168 million voted for the purchase of computers for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and the Film and Video Censors Board, the minister said he was not aware.

“No, that is not possible. That was definitely not what was proposed, this cannot be,” the minister protested even as an official of the ministry noted that only N5 million was proposed for the item in the original budget of the NFVCB.

But the chairman of the Committee, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe said, “The difference between N5million and N168m is huge.”

Managing Director of NAN, Ima Niboro also expressed shock at the N230million for the purchase of the same item as captured under “Capital Votes” in the 2016 budget of NAN.

A member of the committee, Senator Ben Murray Bruce had also expressed misgivings about the fact that little or no attention was paid to the core functions of the ministry and parastatals under it at a crucial time when Nigeria was at war in the North East.

“I want to ask passionately that they (Ministry/ parastatals) re-submit their budget, taking care of the North East.

because people are dying. This is not the question of spending more recklessly, I appeal that the budget be resubmitted, taking care of their needs in the North East; it is very important”, Bruce said.

Recalling that during the Civil War, radio was a very effective way of communicating with the public, the Senator added that this should also be employed in the war in the North East.

He said. “It would have made more sense for the information budget of the Army to be given to the Ministry of Information to equip these stations manned by NTA and FRCN used by the military as a source of communication.

“For instance, if there is going to be an air raid in a particular area, we can warn the citizens to stay off that particular area. The media can be used like when Buhari did in 1983 for War against Indiscipline, War Against Corruption, so National Orientation should use the medium that we have.

“NTA is a phenomenal network, it has more assets than any station in the whole of Africa today, NTA must be worth 400 million dollars in the open market today.”

Bruce noted that Nigeria is in a state of war as such it was important that national orientation should be in the fore front, followed by NTA and FRCN to be led by the Minister working with the military to guarantee that innocent lives are not lost.

Justiyke4u:
Everybody is now denying the budget

OfoIgbo:
This budget is showing the acute incompetence of Kemi Adeosun, the Ngozi Iweala wannabe of the mumu's administration.

Before a budget is presented to the national assembly, one would expect that there would have been a federal executive meeting, in which the figures of the draft budget are verified and I am pretty sure this took place.

What we are witnessing is a grand scheme by Kemi, Osibanjo and Buhari to defraud the nation.

Kemi Adeosun et al must be made to face the music, if not in this gogernment, then in a saner government

Obiagelli:
This government is failing, How
can.the contents of the most
important document for a year be
changed at all levels, yet no one has
been arrested till date

modath:



I'm still in a state of disbelief that people aren't already crying blood....

It's unacceptable that we are only hearing about budget mafia without any attempt to unmask them, at least now the PMB is back, he should face the job we elected him for squarely!!

How ya doing?

ionsman:
Even though I am a staunch Buharist, I have to say this whole budget brouhaha is becoming shameful. ...As corrupt as Pdp's 16 years reign was, this fiasco never pervaded.
This is a total let down to this government. This issue shouldn't be handled with kid gloves.
This lends credence to the assertion that Buhari might have good thoughts towards this country,but there are people who will want to taint his name.

Obiagelli:
This government is failing, How
can.the contents of the most
important document for a year be
changed at all levels, yet no one has
been arrested till date

Obiagelli:
This government is failing, How
can.the contents of the most
important document for a year be
changed at all levels, yet no one has
been arrested till date

dearpreye:


My dear, the buck ends at the President's desk. He's the leader of the nation and MUST accept total responsibility for this shameful mess of gargantuan proportions.

President Buhari presented a budget to the national assembly before he had read or skimmed through it. That's being lousy.

Iroh88:
Why I said yesterday it is high time Baba wielded the big stick. This is totally unacceptable.

There are obviously a lot of remnants of the Goats from the last admin hell bent on sustaining the legacy of that admin. Baba should ignore the blackmail of the opposition who always want to paint him as a vindictive and sectional leader and fire all those top bureaucrats in the ministries and budget office immediately!! Replace them with new brains he can trust so we can start from an entirely clean slate.

Morning Modat.

Obiagelli:
This government is failing, How
can.the contents of the most
important document for a year be
changed at all levels, yet no one has
been arrested till date

dearpreye:


My dear, the buck ends at the President's desk. He's the leader of the nation and MUST accept total responsibility for this shameful mess of gargantuan proportions.

President Buhari presented a budget to the national assembly before he had read or skimmed through it. That's being lousy.

Iroh88:
Buhari shouldn't hesitate in firing all the undercover Goats that are bent on reviving the culture of pillaging our Yam barn as was the case under the Ineffectual Buffoon.

Now, look at what is going on, all the blame would be on the president (rightly so, and I blame him as well). No one cares if the said crook is a Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo man, or if he's from the North or South, all that matters is that he was appointed by Buhari!

When appointments are being made, all we hear from Ekpas is "another Northerner", and that was why I insisted Baba should ignore the blackmail of those ethnic jingoists. I insisted he appointed the people he felt he could trust and disregard the "need" to satisfy tribal bigots because he ultimately takes credit for whatever the appointees do.

I suggest EFCC be brought in to investigate the issue and prosecute those found to have committed financial crimes.

Kenai:


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