Ministers absence stalls budget defence

The absence of the two ministers overseeing the Petroleum Resources Ministry (Oil and Gas), Heineken Lokpobiri and Ekperipe Ekpo on Thursday, stalled the budget defence of the ministry before a Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources rejected a representation from the ministry and insisted that the two ministers appear before it on Monday, December 19.

Both the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives have assured all that the budget will be passed before the end of the year to maintain the January to December budget circle.

The committee wants the budget defence quickened to realise this objective.

The adjournment followed a motion by Abdulaziz Yari who pointed out that the committee was constrained to adjourn following the absence of the officials.

He appealed that the two Ministers be given another opportunity to speak with the joint committee.

The Chairman, House Committee of Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Alhassan Doguwa, had earlier warned that the Committee would only deal with the ministers, thus ruling out representation by proxy.

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