The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, yesterday disowned N2 billion in the budget of his ministry, saying it was inserted by the Ministry of Finance.
Fashola stated this during budget defence before the Senate Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
Committee chairman, Senator Barnabas Gemade (APC, Benue) had queried the provision of N2 billion in the budget of Housing Ministry for “Regional Housing Scheme.” The project is tagged FMOWP99934089.
Gemade asked: “What is this provision of N2billion for? What is regional housing scheme? Where is it taking place? What is happening? Have you seen it on Page 18?”
Responding, Fashola said: “It is not our project… It is a Ministry of Finance initiative. They are saying that they want to do what they called … It is not from us.”
In his reaction, Gemade said: “But you are here to defend this budget in totality.
Fashola then said: “That is what has come. I am explaining to you now, sir, on how it comes into our budget. That is not what we submitted. We didn’t submit that proposal.”
It was at this point that Gemade said they would invite the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun to explain how the money got into the budget.
The committee also expressed reservations about the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the Ministry and asked the minister to “brace up.”
