The House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected budget presentations by four different agencies and declined approval for their 2021 budget proposals over poor preparation.
The agencies including, the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTS), the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) and the Inter-country Centre for Oral Health in Africa were asked to go back and rearrange their documents.
The Yusuf Sununu led House Committee on Healthcare Services reached the resolution during the 2021 budget defence by the various agencies under the Committee at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
Sununu who particularly frowned at the proposal made by one of the agencies (IPAN) which seeks to acquire a headquarters building in Abuja, but only proposed a little above one million naira in the budget, said the Institute has only succeeded in ridiculing Nigeria as a country, adding that the budget is a constitutional matter that should be taken very seriously.
Another agency, Inter-country Centre for Oral Health in Africa in its submission by the Director General, Sani Balarabe, said that the Centre is hampered by lack of funding and appealed to the lawmakers for an alternate funding.
Responding, the lawmakers expressed displeasure in the manner in which government handles the Centre for Oral Health, stressing that the habit of leaving funding for important institutions in the country to foreign donors was disgusting.
Ruling, the lawmakers resolved to pay an oversight visit to the agencies for assessment before considering their 2021 budget proposals.
The Committee’s Chairman, Sununu also cautioned Nigerians to be wary of the kind of drugs they purchase and consume at this critical period, following the looting of a warehouse belonging to NAFDAC in Kaduna State, where siezed fake and expired drugs were said to have been stored and awaiting destruction.
He urged members of the Committee and all Nigerians to be watchful and careful with the kind of drugs they purchase after the looting of NAFDAC warehouse in kaduna by criminals who carted away fake or expired drugs which were designated for destruction.
