Solid Minerals N9 Billion Allocation: A Budget of Sabotage, Says National Assembly Committee
By Mercy Adi
The National Assembly has summoned three top government officials to explain the meager N9 billion allocation for the Ministry of Solid Minerals in the 2025 fiscal year. Minister of Finance Wale Edun, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Atiku Bagudu, and Director-General of the Budget Office Tanimu Yakubu are expected to appear before the Joint Committee on Solid Minerals today at 3 pm.
The summons follows the refusal of Senator Bagudu to appear before the committee last Wednesday, as well as the Minister of Solid Minerals Dele Alake’s failed efforts to secure an upward review of the allocation.
Committee Chairman Senator Sampson Ekong expressed disappointment that despite assurances from the ministers and the DG Budget Office, the N9 billion proposal remained unchanged. “Solid minerals is a very vital sector needed for diversification of the nation’s economy. We declared last week that the N9 billion proposed for the ministry for the 2025 fiscal year was grossly inadequate,” Ekong said.
Minister Alake had earlier lamented that despite meeting with President Bola Tinubu, Minister Edun, Senator Bagudu, and the DG Budget Office, he was unable to secure an increase in the allocation. “They all gave assurances upon assurances to get the N9 billion proposal reviewed upward, but surprisingly, nothing has been done,” Alake said.
The committee’s decision to summon the officials was also influenced by allegations that the 2025 budget was a “budget of sabotage” due to the underfunding of critical sectors.