Reps threaten zero allocation for NACETEM

2026-02-12 - 15:18

...call for DG’s removal over budget snub By Gift Chapi-Odekina, Abuja The House of Representatives Committee on Science and Engineering has threatened to recommend a zero allocation for the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) in the 2026 Appropriation Bill and called for the removal of its Director-General, Dr. Olushola Odusanya, over his failure to appear for budget defence. The committee’s decision came during NACETEM’s 2026 budget defence session in Abuja on Thursday, where lawmakers expressed frustration over the agency’s non-compliance with legislative requirements. The panel resolved to expunge the agency’s proposed budget from the national appropriation bill and recommended the sack of the DG for failing to honour its invitation and for not submitting the necessary documents for legislative scrutiny. Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Inuwa Garba (PDP, Gombe), described the development as unacceptable and a breach of constitutional responsibility. “If President Bola Tinubu can personally appear before the National Assembly to present the national budget, no appointee should consider himself too big to appear before a committee of the legislature,” he said. Garba warned that the House would not tolerate any act interpreted as disrespect to the Constitution, the Legislature, or democratic governance, noting that the committee’s decision would serve as a deterrent to other public officials. Lawmakers Query NiCFOST’s Revenue, Rising Overheads. In a related development, the committee also raised concerns over the 2025 budget performance and 2026 proposal of the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFOST). Lawmakers questioned the council’s low Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), which stood at N385,000 in 2024 and dropped to N285,860 in 2025. They also queried a sharp and unexplained rise in overhead costs, from N95.4 million in 2025 to N195.73 million in the 2026 budget proposal. NiCFOST Registrar, Mrs. Veronica Nkechi-Eze, explained that the council’s revenue comes solely from registration fees and annual professional dues—N5,000 for registration and N2,000 as annual dues from about 10,000 members. She, however, admitted she could not fully account for the significant rise in overhead expenditure, saying it was not part of the original proposal submitted to the Budget Office. Rep. Garba noted that the discrepancies required further scrutiny and said the committee would engage the agency again before reaching a final decision.