Toba Owojaiye reporting
Abuja , Nigeria
In a contentious session at the National Assembly, members of the Joint Committee on Industry, Trade, and Investment confronted Dr Doris Nkiruka-Anite, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, regarding her ministry’s ambitious plan to allocate N1 billion for a trip to Geneva in 2024.
The startling proposal, embedded in the ministry’s 2024 budget, triggered strong reactions from committee members who deemed the amount excessive and incongruent with the ministerial mandate.
Truth Live News gathered that during the session, the Minister defended the budget, asserting that the substantial allocation was earmarked for a crucial trip to Geneva in the coming year. Committee members, however, sought explanations regarding the ministry’s 2023 budget performance before endorsing additional funds.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District and a former governor, expressed reservations about the extravagant budget for the Geneva trip. He urged the Minister to leverage the expertise within her office rather than embarking on a costly foreign journey.
“I see that you intend to travel to Geneva next year, and you have budgeted over one billion. We can’t keep going on with overblotted teams on trips abroad. Use the experts we have in your offices in those countries to save cost,” Oshiomhole remarked, emphasizing the need for fiscal responsibility.
Oshiomhole also criticized the Minister for her purported absence from her office, claiming she spent substantial time at the Bank of Industry (BOI). He questioned her commitment to her ministerial duties and suggested she should have declined the nomination if her preference was for the BOI.
“Madam, sit in your office and work for Nigerians. If you preferred BOI, you should have declined the President’s nomination to be Minister,” Oshiomhole admonished, advocating for a focus on domestic production and industrialization.
Further probing the Minister’s performance, Oshiomhole questioned her awareness of the nation’s trade balance with other countries. In response, Dr Nkiruka-Anite acknowledged the absence of such records in the ministry and highlighted the initiation of a new unit, the Trade Intelligence Unit, to address this gap.
However, Oshiomhole insisted that relevant data existed in institutions like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), accusing the Ministry of failing to access these crucial sources.
As scrutiny intensifies, the Minister’s proposed Geneva trip remains a focal point, raising concerns about responsible resource allocation and the effective utilization of existing expertise within the Ministry. The outcome of this budgetary confrontation will undoubtedly influence perceptions of fiscal prudence within the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment.