Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Beta Edu, on Tuesday disclosed that the amount allocated to her ministry in the 2024 budget was not capable of fighting poverty in the country.
The Minister appeared before the Joint National Assembly Committee on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
She said her ministry was given an overhead ceiling of N532.5bn which represents a 28 percent increase over the 2023 budget to cushion the effects of inflation.
She said that the 28 percent increase in the overhead was not commensurate to the 27.33 percent inflation rate in the country as at present.
She added that the pittance capital ceiling of N1.535b which was an increase from the current year’s budget does not in any way match with the mandate of the ministry’s headquarters in order to shrink poverty in Nigeria.
In her words before the joint Committee chaired by Senator Idiat Adebule, she said, “It is pertinent to note that the 28 percent increase in the overhead ceiling is not commensurate with the 27.33 percent inflation rate in the economy today.
“Conversely, the capital budget ceiling was reduced from N3.7bn in 2022 to N1.328316bn in 2023 and it represents a 71 per cent reduction.
“So, in 2022 and 2023, there was a 71% reduction.
“However, the pittance capital ceiling of N1.535b which is an increase from the current year’s budget does not in any way match with the mandate of the ministry’s headquarters in order to shrink poverty in Nigeria.
“Simply put, there was an over 71% reduction between 2022 and 2023 so the minimal increase between 2023 and 2024 does not in any way match with the mandate which we have been given and what is expected of us.
” At this point, I will plead humbly and sincerely with the chairman, co-chair and members of this great Committee that as we look into Nigeria as a nation, the burden lies on us to actually tackle the issue of poverty with sincerity.
“One thing you can take from myself and my team working under the guidance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is that he truly wants Nigerians to be out of poverty.
” Except the budget is appropriate for it, we would be completely unable to meet that mandate.
“It will be words that would not be matched with actions. I am happy that you represent constituencies and senatorial zones, a lot is being expected of you from the government in your constituencies to meet their real sincere demands.
“That is the reason why this committee must go beyond board to ensure that the present budget which was given to the Ministry and agencies is carefully looked into, reconsidered and something more reasonable and in keeping with the realities on ground is done.
“The ministry has several special projects which I will not like to mention and we intend to use these special projects as agencies under us to meet the target.
“Something very serious was omitted. If you followed the news closely, the President who is the chairman of the Federal Executive Council recently approved the creation of the Humanitarian and Poverty Eradication Trust Fund.
“This Trust is expected to have a contribution from the Federal Government 30% counterpart funding which is supposed to come from donor agencies as well as development partners.
“We also have 30% coming from the private sector and then, 10% from other very innovative funds of resource mobilization which we have already started engagement
‘Similarly, 10% is expected from other very innovative funds of resource mobilization for which we have already started engagements in the over 111 days in office.
“We have been engaging massively for these funds to come into Nigeria to support the implementation of programmes which we will be implementing with you at the front burner by reaching out to your constituents
“However, Nigeria needs to put its own part of the bargain on the table. This would be not just an attraction to those who are supposed to bring in the other percent but it will serve as a lighter to reach the poor and indeed eradicate poverty from our country.
“We plead with this great Committee that as you make your submission to the appropriation committee and of course furthermore to the final level where the gavel will go down on the 2024 appropriation we seek that you help us ensure the inclusion of these budget line as well as appropriation for this budget line
“I would want to plead that we would have to as an executive.”
The Chairman of the Committee, Idiat Adebule asked whether the Minister presented the budget for the Trust Fund at the budget planning stage.
Beta Edu said it was presented to the Ministry of Budget but that it was not reflected in what her ministry got back.
Edu said, “This was clearly stated as an omission and that is why we are asked to bring it in as a memo to the committee to see how they can consider it.
The committee members asked whether she had the memo and Beta responded in the affirmative.
The Minister was also asked whether she had discussed it with the minister of budget, she answered in the affirmative.
Edu said she was with the Budget Minister and that she engaged him and also the budget office.
She said, “Of course we didn’t get to see the copy which was sent to the committee so from the findings we got to know that the copy that got to you did not have that reflected
…
“Because we are interested in the money that is coming from the donor agency, it is on the basis of this that we are taking that letter and we will make a presentation to the appropriation Committee to see how it goes.
“We would like to say that you can hold us accountable for full implementation of whatever is appropriated to our ministry,” Edu stated.
