By Andrew Oota
The Senate Committee on Information and expressed concerns at budgetary allocation to the ministry of information and National Orientation.
The ministry is allocated N27.5trillion for the 2024 fiscal year .
This was made known during the budget defense of the ministry and it’s agencies and parastatals.
Information minister ,Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi while making his presentation told senators that one major thing the ministry seeks to achieve is infuse National values and attitudes re-orientation campaign under the aegis of National Values Charter (NVC), which according to him will be inaugurated in 2024
According to him “It is the desire of the ministry to have a big national conversation around our values and attitudes re-orientation, so that Nigeria will at least rediscover its self and reclaim some of those values that have been eroded over the years,so that we can have a better country for all of us.
” We also desire the launch of the National and International branding campaign for Nigeria to highlight and showcase Nigeria immense natural and cultural resources.
” We are also also going to convane and cordinate a regular series of Press briefings and media engagements for cabinet members and other senior government officials to avail Nigerians of what various ministries and agencies are doing so that Nigerians will be carried along on what and what are the projects and programmes of government .
” We also intend to invest resources in modernising the Federal Government information and communication management and regulatory system across the agencies for example, NAN, NTA , FRCN etc ‘, he said .
The minister pointed out that the sum of N1billion earmarked for the Ministry as capital expenditure in 2024 , was sufficient giving the scope of work.
In complete agreement with the minister, the Chairman of the committee , Senator Kenneth Eze ( APC Ebonyi Central) maintained that the provisions in the 2024 budget were insufficient giving the programmes to be carried out.
His words ,”This is not a budget that can be visible if we are telling our story as a country , there is no way ,we can go far, you have a great initiative on how you are going to transform the country in area of information, I wonder how you are going to do that with this so little fund.
“Information is a very sensitive ministry that should be taken seriously, and funded, and if we are talking about renewed hope agenda , that we want as a country , Information should be at the forefront, it should be the image maker, to sensitise the people, there is a widening gap between the government and information has to bridge this gap.
“I looked around in the budget, I didn’t not see Nigeria Press Council, and APCON and other agencies,is the government telling us that the agencies are been scraped, that they can function without personnel,? who will pay their salary?, and just few months ago,the DG and Executive Secretary were appointed .
” Hon Minister , this is serious matter for the committee to look into and will shall surely do that “.
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