The Kogi State House of Assembly has frowned at the non-appearance of the State Commissioner for Water Resources, Abdulmumuni Danga for the defence of his ministry’s budget.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources, Idoko Enejo Celestine had told the committee that the commissioner was indisposed at the moment.
The House standing committee on Water Resources resolved to stepped down the budget defence for the ministry, pending the appearance of the Commissioner.
According to the Chairman of the committee, Moses Akande, the Commissioner has never attended budget defence in the last four years.
According to Akande, any time the commissioner regains his health, he can appear in person before the committee to defend his ministry’s budget.
“If Governor Yahaya Bello could personally present the 2023 appropriation bill before the House of Assembly, I see no reason why a commissioner who is not more busy than the state governor would not appear before the house to defend their ministry’s budget,” he said.
He maintained that the metropolis has been without water and the governor has made provisions for the supply of water to the citizens to no avail.
“The commissioner should appear before the committee set up by the assembly for budget defence for possible way of finding solution to the water problems.”
It would be recalled that the chairman, Kogi State House standing committee on Finance, Appropriation, Budget and Planning, Aderonke Aro had emphasized that all commissioners and heads of departments and agency in the state must appear in person to defend their MDAs budget.
