By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation has decried the N8.7 billion budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Information and National Orientation for its 2025 operations.
The committee, at its 2025 budget defence session on Wednesday in Abuja, rejected N1.2 billion Capital component of the budget, describing it as grossly inadequate.
The Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Fatoba Olusola (APC-Ekiti state) said that the amount allocated to the ministry in 2024 when the national budget was N28.7 trillion, is higher than the N8.2 billion allocated in 2025 when the national budget is N49.7 trillion.
He said that it unacceptable for an agency with bears the responsibility of dissemination information not to get a substantial amount of the 2025 budget.
The Deputy Chairman of the committee, Rep. Felix Nwaeke said that the committee is not happy with the meager allocation.
He suggested that the committee should reject the budget and make a case before the leadership of the house for an increase.
Rep. Ismail Tijani (APC-Kwara) said that the amount was too small to sustain the ministry in 2025 to achieve its mandate.
He said that some of the agencies under the ministry have foreign offices where the image of the country is projected saying that funds cannot meet the demands of the ministry.
Rep. Akin Rotimi (APC-Ekiti state) said that many agencies of government who do not have the expertise were doing the job of the ministry.
He said that a glance at the 2025 budget showed lump sums allocated to information and orientation in the budget down line of other agencies.
Rotimi suggested that all allocation for information and orientation in the 2025 budget should be domiciled in the ministry where the expertise resides.
Rep. Amobi Ogah criticized the envelop budgeting system practiced in the country, saying it is limiting the performance of government agencies.
He called on the National Assembly to do away with the envelop budgeting system to allow agencies of government freedom to work according to their capacity.
In his ruling, the chairman said the committee rejects the capital component of the budget, pledging to work with the leadership of the house, Senate and the Minister of Finance boost the budget.
Earlier, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Muhammed Idris said that the is saddled with responsibility of ensuring that information that Nigerians require from government is made available to them.
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