Africa Press-Nigeria:
Members of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, on Tuesday, asked the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to explain how the ministry expended N19million on international travel during the COVID-19 lockdown.
This was even as the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Danladi Sankara (Jigawa North-West), called on the Federal Government to increase the annual budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Information and Culture in view of its numerous critical schedules.
Senator representing Imo East, Ezennwa Onyewuchi, had during the budget Defence by Lai Mohammed that N19million was expended from the N43million meant for international travels whereas the period coincided with the COVID-19 lockdown.
Onyewuchi said: “Let me take you on this 2020 overhead. You have here on Local travels and transport appropriated is N30million you expended N23million on local transport you received N96million as appropriated as released and you expended N90million.
“On International travels and transport you had N43million and you expended N19million.
“So, I am wondering this period of lockdown where nobody was able to go to any country during the 2020 appropriation, how were you able to embark on international travels and you expended N19million.
“So we need to look at that critically and you should also tell us here in parliament how you were able to do that.
“Most part of the year we had travel restrictions. I am sure you will remember you did a lot of enlightenment programmes on this and I am sure you will remember that most of us were prevented from moving into other states.
“So I don’t know how you also had the luxury of spending the entire amount that was appropriated on those travels so those are the information we need to get from your expenditure.”
