The Senate on Thursday in Abuja commended the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for innovative programmes and policies at bringing government activities to visibility.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, Senator Suleiman Adoke, made the commendation during an oversight visit to the ministry on 2018 Budget implementation.
The Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ibrahim Danbaba, and Senator Umar Kurfi were at the event, which was also attended by the Permanent Secretary and Directors of the Ministry.
Adoke specifically commended the minister for implementing laudable programmes aimed at sensitising the public to government programmes, activities and policies.
He said: “The ministry has performed very well.
“It is visible and implementing programmes that are making government visible.
“I can assure that we will work together with you and give our support to improving on the budget of the ministry.”
Speaking in the same vein, Kurfi said programmes such as the Town Hall Meetings and government projects inspections embarked upon by the ministry had been a huge success.
He enjoined the minister to give support to some parastatal agencies under the ministry on the improvement on their budgets.
Giving the level of 2018 annual budget implementation on the Information sector, Mohammed said N660.5 million was appropriated for overhead, out of which about N385.3 million was released.
For capital development fund, the minister said N611.9 million was appropriated in 2018 for the Information sector of his Ministry out of which N371.9 million was released.
The minister identified late passage of Appropriation Act, cumbersome nature of procurement process and inadequate appropriation as part of the challenges of the ministry.
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