Senate panel queries NIWA over N800m security vote

The Senate committee on Marine Transport yesterday queried the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) over N800m budgetary provision for the purchase of security equipment.

NIWA Acting Managing Director, Danladi Ibrahim was queried when he appeared before the committee to defend the agency’s budget.

The lawmakers said the agency budgeted equal amount for same item in the 2017 budget. They said N790m was spent out of the N800m approved for the agency last year.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima (APC, Zamfara) said detail of the N800m was not provided by the agency.

“The same amount was budgeted last year and the same amount this year. There are no details, no explanations and no form of specification whatsoever. This is unacceptable,” he said.

He requested the agency to provide all the necessary details and specification about every time in its budget.