Senate approves Customs’ 2020 Budget amid protest

The Senate on Tuesday passed a budget of N238.15 billion for Nigerian Customs Service for 2020 amid protests by senators who faulted the budget report.
The lawmakers complained that the report of the budget was not thorough enough for the Senate to pass it.
The trouble started immediately after the Chairman of Senate Committee on Customs and Excuse Duty, Senator Francis Alimikhena, presented the budget report to the Senate for consideration.
Alimikhena had explained that the proposal is based on the Federal Government of Nigeria Medium Term Expenditure Framework.
He added that a total expenditure of N238.15 billion is being proposed for the 2020 financial year as follows: Personnel Cost: N98.61 billion, representing 41.41%; Overhead Cost: N15.95 billion, representing 6.70%; and Capital Cost: N123.59 billion, representing 51.89%.
After the presentation, Senator Solomon Olamilekan observed that the seven per cent allowed the Service for keeps from revenue generated was enough to defray its expenditure.
Olamilekan informed the Chamber that apart from the seven per cent, the agency still draws funds from the Federation Account.
In his contribution against the passage of the budget, Senator Gabriel Suswam said before the budget could be passed, there is need for proper explanation so that the Senate will understand why some figures are not adding up.
Senator James Manager while kicking against the report said it was too scanty for the lawmakers to approve.
According to Manager, irrespective of what the Committee had agreed with the House of Representatives Committee, “this report is too scanty for us to look at.
“The Committee should have taken a proper look at the report before submitting it to us.
“We need to look at the federation account properly.”
Rejecting the report of the Panel, Senator Ibn Na’allah advised the Senate not to pass the budget because it was not tidy.
In his words: “This Senate has a duty to bring all agencies into conformity with the vision of the Federal Government.
“We must bring our institutions to conform with what will make the country proud.
“We can’t pass this kind of budget.”
Most of the Senators who disagreed with the budget report of the Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariffs stated that the report on the budget was not tidy enough and some figures did not add up.
But Senator Adamu Ailero; Senate Majority Leader, Abdullahi Yahaya; and Senator Bassey Akpan urged the Senate to pass the Customs budget because the Committee did a thorough job.
The Senate however agreed to pass the budget when it was put to question by Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan.
Lawan, in his remarks said: “We expect MDAs to present their audited accounts before the end of the year, especially towards the end of December or at least the first quarter of next year, that is if we include all the calendar months.
“If any agency refuses or fails without any cogent reason, we have reason to take a drastic action when it comes to appropriation because not to account for what you have been given in the previous year, that is to say you are not prepared to take a new budget.
“So I’m advising the MDAs, especially those that are not up to date with their audited accounts, to do so.
“We could decide as a National Assembly to take measures against agencies of government that are not up to date with their audited accounts.”