The House of Representatives Committee on Culture and Tourism has commended the 2020 budget performance of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.
The Chairman of the Committee, Representative Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama (PDP-Edo) gave the commendation on Tuesday in Abuja at the ministry’s 2021 budget defence session for its culture component.
“From this presentation, the minister had a 100 per cent release and has performed very close to 100 per cent in all. This is laudable, you do not have any business in keeping government money in your possession. If it has been appropriated for, it should be spent accordingly”.
The chairman said agencies under the ministry that had not expended their capital budget up to 70 per cent, the committee would not listen to their 2021 budget defence.
He said any of such agency should not appear before the committee saying that it amounts to sitting on public funds
Earlier, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said N616 million was appropriated for overhead expenditure and N444 million was released representing 72 per cent of the sum appropriated.
He said capital expenditures, N164.6 million was appropriated and the same amount was released for the operations of the culture sector of the ministry.
Mohammed put the 2020 budget performance at 99.9 per cent expressing hope of reaching a 100 per cent before the end of the fiscal year.
The minister said that the ministry’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is N18.8 million and the around had been remitted to federation accounts.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected revenue generating streams of the ministry.
For the 2021 budget performance, Mohammed said N4.9 billion was appropriated for personnel cost.
He said N100.5 million overhead while the capital expenditures for the culture sector of the ministry is N945.3 million.
The minister commended the lawmakers and the entire parliament for their support for the ministry and for the mutual respect between both arms of government.
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