There was a mild drama in the Senate on Friday, as Senators unequivocally decried the paucity of funds to effectively run the standing committees of the Red Chamber, as well as implement budgets.
The lamentation took place during a meeting between the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Chairmen of the various Standing Committees of the apex legislative Assembly.
The lawmakers began to express their disappointment with poor funding of the Committees and the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government when Senator Anthony Ani (APC,Ebonyi South), pointedly declared that since the inauguration of the Committee on South East Development Commission, not a dime had been given to the Committee by the Senate to function.
He said: “Mr Chairman, you have read out the timetable to be followed by the various Committees for consideration of the 2026 budget, but the Senate Committee on South East Development Commission that I belong to, does not have money to organise a meeting with any agency due to zero allocation since formation and inauguration”.
Ani pointed out that based on credible information, other Senate Committees on Zonal Development Commissions were yet to be funded, wondering how such Committees could function without funding.
Corroborating the observation made by Senator Ani, the Chairman, Senate Committee on North Central Development Commission, Senator Titus Zam (Benue North West), said that the excitement that followed the creation of the Commission should not be allowed to turn to lamentation.
“Lack of funding for the Committees on Zonal Development Commissions in the Senate is gradually turning the excitement that heralded them into disappointment and even into lamentation”, he said.
Also, extending the lamentation to poor and multiple budget implementation, the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Oyewunmi Olalere (Osun West), enjoined the Senator Olamilekan Adeola (Ogun West)-led Appropriations Committee, to be on its toes in making revenue-generating agencies live up to expectations for effective budget funding.
“The promise on single budget implementation from April 1st this year is being threatened, because parts of the capital component of the 2024 budget in terms of contracts execution, are not paid yet, not to mention the 30% capital component of the 2025 budget expected to expire by the 31st of March.
“Today (Friday) is January 30, which means that only two months are left for clearing off the leftovers of 2024 and 2025 budgets to pave the way for the promised single budget implementation from April 1st 2026.
“Mr Chairman, a lot needs to be done between now and next month by your committee and critical stakeholders to prevent the continuation of multiple budget implementation”, he said.
Senator Francis Adenigba Fadaunsi (Osun East), in his remarks, also made a similar lamentation by telling the Chairman and members of the Committee to get the seriousness of the situation on ground as regards poor budget funding to the appropriate quarters, saying “2024 budget debt has not been paid”.
“I concur with my colleague from our state on the yet to be fully implemented 2024 budget because the affected unpaid contractors are still carrying placards around. This Committee must reach out to the critical stakeholders for the required tidying up of 2024 and 2025 budgets before 1st April 2026”, he said.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), however, stopped the lamentations galore by telling the Senators to wait until full details of the N58.472 trillion 2026 budget are made available to them.
However, following Senator Adam Oshiomhole’s intervention, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Solomon Adeola, called for an executive session, thereby asking all journalists to vacate the venue of the meeting.
Meanwhile, at the end of the closed session, which lasted for about one hour, the Senators dispersed without the Chairman or any member of the Committee briefing the media on what transpired during the secret session
