The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has proposed to opt out from National budget in 2023 as National Assembly joint panel on Marine Transport, Ports, Harbours/ Inland Waterways defer budget defence over inconsistency in the agency budget report.
The Managing Director of NIWA, Dr. George Moghalu had appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Marine Transport, Ports, Harbours/ Inland Waterways.
While presenting the budget before the lawmakers, the NIWA boss said that the agency is determined to become fully self funding by 2023 upon the passage of NIWA Bill.
According to him, “the Authority is determined more than ever to become fully self funding by 2023 predicated upon the passage of the NIWA bill, in so doing upscaling development of Inland Water Transportation in Nigeria.”
The Managing Director however told the lawmakers that the autonomy by the NIWA will not take the power of oversight from the lawmakers adding the aim of the autonomy is not to burden the national budget.
In the breakdown presented by NIWA Managing Director for 2022 budget proposal, N12.8 billion is subvention for Capital budget from the federal government, the total IGR budget proposal is N21.2 billion made up of recurrent estimate of N10.8 billion.
The trouble started for the Managing Director of NIWA as many senators and Honorable members complained about clumsiness of the report presented for consideration.
Senator Smart Adeyemi specifically told the NIWA Managing Director that the report is not presented in a way that could be easily understood.
Another Senator from Jigawa, Senator Danladi Sankara said that the agency failed to include receipt of remittance in their report, though Senator Jibrin Isah who is the Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Finance, informed the Committee that NIWA submitted the remittance receipt to government’s purse to Finance Committee.
Some other Lawmakers also complained that the report was not arranged properly.
Having listen to the members of the Committee both in Senate and House of Representatives, the Chairman, Senator Danjuma Goje, called for the postponement of the budget defence over the issues raised by members.
According to him, in view of various inconsistencies in the budget, you have to reappear before the Committee at another date which will be communicated to you.
