Reps demand details report on past projects by solid minerals ministry

The House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals on Friday demanded details of all projects embarked upon by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in the past years.

The committee made the demand when the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mary Ogbe, appeared before the lawmakers to defend the 2024 budget in Abuja.

The chairman of the committee, Jonathan Gaza, expressed displeasure with the inconsistencies in the presentation of the Permanent Secretary.

The committee resolved that all documents regarding all jobs carried out by the ministry should be made available before November 26.

Gaza queried the ministry for not capturing most of the projects it embarked on in the presentation.

He said: “We are expecting the budget, and we cannot appropriate it if we do not know the true status of the utilisation of what has been given to you in 2024.

“We were quite detailed when we sent you the documents we required. You must provide details of all the projects, budget codes and budget items.”

Others include the appropriated amount, contractors, amount awarded, date of award, the status of the projects, the percentage with regards to performance and the lot numbers, among others.

He stressed that the individual items must be captured in detail in the document for Nigerians to see how the money appropriated has been utilised.

“Don’t give us any half-baked documents again. Every line must be adhered to. And give us the advertisement that was done, the code, the contractors and everything.

“Even if it is before the Federal Executive Council, put it in the remark and work on your documents and make a proper presentation; let’s have a comprehensive submission,” he said.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary said a total sum of of N25.05 billion was appropriated as an expenditure outlay for the ministry in the 2024 budget.

She said: “This comprised N894.4 million as overhead cost and N23.15 billion as capital expenditure. The personnel cost of the ministry was captured.”

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