The State House was congratulated by the Senate Committee on Special Duties for its quick appearance before the committee to defend its financial estimates.
Sen. Shehu Kaka, the committee’s chairman, expressed his appreciation immediately after Mr. Funsho Adebiyi, the permanent secretary of the State House, appeared before the committee on Wednesday in Abuja for its budget defense session.
Given the President of the Senate’s directions that MDAs not disrupt the budget defense process with needless delays, Kaka said it was encouraging that the State House was leading by example by appearing first to defend its budget.
Kaka said that all MDAs under the committee’s supervision would show up to defend their proposals for 2023 and 2024 and advised the other MDAs to follow the State House’s example of timely attendance at the budget session.
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In order to guarantee value for each fund appropriated in the 2023 budget and the upcoming 2024 appropriation, he said the committee would oversee the MDAs.
Prior to this, Mr. Funsho Adebiyi, Permanent Secretary of the State House, revealed that the goal of the 2024 budget was to consolidate the gains made in 2023.
According to him, the State House’s whole budget for 2023 was N21 billion, while its projected budget for 2024 is N76 billion.
He said that the foreign exchange rate and general operating expenses, which include fueling vehicles for use in activities, were among the factors contributing to the increase in the 2024 budget.
He said that one of the State House’s objectives was finishing the new State House Hospital and that, when it was put into service, it would rank among the best.
Adebiyi gave the committee credit for its supervision and all-around assistance to the state house office.
When the new hospital is finished, some committee members want the permanent secretary to make sure that regular Nigerians can also utilize it, not just celebrities.
The senators expressed their displeasure at the National Assembly’s management’s failure to present an update on 2023 appropriations and provide support for the 2024 budget.
