National Assembly To Sanction Ministers For Shunning Budget Defence

National Assembly has threatened to sanction the ministers of state for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri and (Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo for failing to appear before it for the 2024 budget defence.

The joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Petroleum Resources issued the threat when it convened for the budget defence but the ministers did not turn up.

The joint committee had scheduled a session with the ministers on Wednesday, December 13, but was adjourned to Thursday due to their absence.

The committee was infuriated by the absence of the ministers, considering the importance of the ministry to the survival and growth of Nigeria's economy and adjourned to Monday.

The lawmakers vowed to deal decisively with the ministry, using every legal instrument available if the ministers fail to honour the invitation again.

The permanent secretary of the ministry, Gabriel Aduda who was present with some officials offered to hold brief on behalf of the ministers, but the lawmakers rejected that, saying they lacked the institutional capacity to engage with the lawmakers.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Sen. Albert Bassey, expressed dissatisfaction and disappointment at the ministers’ attitude.

He said, "I am so disappointed, the same reasons yesterday we shifted this meeting. Today again, we have not seen them. We cannot keep shifting. Maybe they are not ready, but nobody will undermine the powers of the National Assembly."

While emphasising the importance of the ministers explaining their intentions for the 2024 budget, he said: "If they don't have it,  then they have no business being ministers.”

The chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Alhassan Ado-Doguwa also expressed disappointment at the ministers, going by the critical role of the oil and gas sector in the nation's economy.

He pointed out that the president, as the supervising minister, had appointed two ministers of state, underlining the significance of their presence during the exercise.

"It is to say the least, very disappointing", while emphasizing that the ministers' disregard for the National Assembly's invitation and the presidential directive would not be tolerated.

"We are individually and collectively disappointed. We are disappointed because this is one ministry where the success, survival of economy of the Federation lies in.

"And most of all, this is a ministry that the president is the supervising minister and because of the importance of this ministry, he has also taken by way of wisdom,  to appoint two ministers of state in this ministry, and here we are engaging this all important ministry for a constitutional exercise where we represent the interest of our people, but we don’t have any of the ministers here in attendance.

"The president has made it clear that coming to the National Assembly to defend budget is sacrosanct, and no one can compromise that. So, in our view and from the inaction of these two ministers of state is like taking the presidential instruction for granted, they are also taking the sanctity of this institution where the Sovereignty of the people lies for granted.

"This is not a personal thing, it is in the discharge of our responsibility to our dear nation, and when anyone is trying to be funny about it, we have various instrumentality available to this institution (the National Assembly) to deal with him," he said.

Doguwa told the permanent secretary of the ministry who wanted to represent the ministers that, "You cannot do it, your height is short of engaging us here with the ministry where you have the president as the supervising minister."