House of Representatives yesterday issued a
threat of zero allocation to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) over delay in presenting its 2013 Budget before one of its Committees.
House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, which turned down the budget estimate of EFCC, also expressed dismay that its boss, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, has been taking its members for granted.
The Committee expressed displeasure that despite a letter of invitation dated Monday November 25 addressed to Lamorde, coupled with repeated assurances he gave the committee leadership, he still went ahead to absent himself from the meeting without apology.
It, however, gave the EFCC boss ultimatum of five days within which he must appear before its members, brief them on performance of 2012 Budget and defend that of 2013.
Committee Chairman, Jagaba Adams Jagaba, said the ultimatum lapses by 11 a.m. next Monday, failure upon which EFCC will get zero allocation for the coming fiscal year.
He referred to a similar situation when EFCC had frustrated his Committee's efforts at performing oversight functions on some of its expenditure to ascertain level of success in the 2012 Budget.
"EFCC has turned down previous offers of this Committee to do oversight on 2012 Budget
"A lot of things are being taken for granted, and it appears EFCC is working against the rules of this Honourable House.
"This Committee is not happy with the attitude of this Agency, we are giving warning because we deserve some respect.
"If the EFCC Chairman doesn't meet the 11 a.m. Monday appointment, it means you (EFCC) don't need money to run this agency in 2013 and you risk zero allocation," the chairman said.
A Committee member, Bassey Ewa, added that "Courtesy demands that the EFCC boss writes us back to inform the Committee Secretariat that he can't show up. What has happened here is wrong and shouldn't have come from EFCC of all agencies.
"I wonder if EFCC can function without a budget. Discipline and seriousness are expected from this agency".
EFCC's Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Akomaye, who led other eight directors of the Commission to the budget defence exercise yesterday, however, failed to convince Committee members to accept the budget documents. Akomaye had explained that Lamorde travelled out of the country two days ago on official assignment.
"The Chairman travelled few days ago for something that happened suddenly. We will be most obliged if the Committee will allow us to present our budget for consideration, even in the absence of the Chairman"
But the Committee frowned at what it called indiscipline on part of the EFCC, an agency which it said should be a bastion of respect and discipline, thereby refusing to consider the budget.
It said the development would now make it difficult to meet tomorrow's deadline given by House leadership for all Committees to submit their reports relating to the 2013 Budget.
The position of the Committee was made known shortly after it went into a closed session before announcing the new date.
Unconfirmed sources said EFCC had come before the Committee with a budget of N21.028 billion for 2013.
CompassHouse Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, which turned down the budget estimate of EFCC, also expressed dismay that its boss, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, has been taking its members for granted.
The Committee expressed displeasure that despite a letter of invitation dated Monday November 25 addressed to Lamorde, coupled with repeated assurances he gave the committee leadership, he still went ahead to absent himself from the meeting without apology.
It, however, gave the EFCC boss ultimatum of five days within which he must appear before its members, brief them on performance of 2012 Budget and defend that of 2013.
Committee Chairman, Jagaba Adams Jagaba, said the ultimatum lapses by 11 a.m. next Monday, failure upon which EFCC will get zero allocation for the coming fiscal year.
He referred to a similar situation when EFCC had frustrated his Committee's efforts at performing oversight functions on some of its expenditure to ascertain level of success in the 2012 Budget.
"EFCC has turned down previous offers of this Committee to do oversight on 2012 Budget
"A lot of things are being taken for granted, and it appears EFCC is working against the rules of this Honourable House.
"This Committee is not happy with the attitude of this Agency, we are giving warning because we deserve some respect.
"If the EFCC Chairman doesn't meet the 11 a.m. Monday appointment, it means you (EFCC) don't need money to run this agency in 2013 and you risk zero allocation," the chairman said.
A Committee member, Bassey Ewa, added that "Courtesy demands that the EFCC boss writes us back to inform the Committee Secretariat that he can't show up. What has happened here is wrong and shouldn't have come from EFCC of all agencies.
"I wonder if EFCC can function without a budget. Discipline and seriousness are expected from this agency".
EFCC's Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Akomaye, who led other eight directors of the Commission to the budget defence exercise yesterday, however, failed to convince Committee members to accept the budget documents. Akomaye had explained that Lamorde travelled out of the country two days ago on official assignment.
"The Chairman travelled few days ago for something that happened suddenly. We will be most obliged if the Committee will allow us to present our budget for consideration, even in the absence of the Chairman"
But the Committee frowned at what it called indiscipline on part of the EFCC, an agency which it said should be a bastion of respect and discipline, thereby refusing to consider the budget.
It said the development would now make it difficult to meet tomorrow's deadline given by House leadership for all Committees to submit their reports relating to the 2013 Budget.
The position of the Committee was made known shortly after it went into a closed session before announcing the new date.
Unconfirmed sources said EFCC had come before the Committee with a budget of N21.028 billion for 2013.
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