The National Assembly has blamed the cordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of depriving Ministries, Departments and Agencies, (MDAs), of receiving funds thereby leading to the poor implementation of the 2012 budget.
The Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources Downstream, Upstream and Gas who warned that it was unacceptable, made the pronouncement at the budget defense of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources led by the Minister, Diezani Madueke.
Worried by the performance level of the 2012 budget, the Chairman of the Joint committee, Senator Emmanuel Paulker he said, “it is too unfortunate that at the eleventh month, only 41 percent has so far been released, this is unacceptable.
“There is no way the ministry would have worked vehemently at the poor releases. We, at the National Assembly are not pleased at all that some people are sitting somewhere and the money is not been released.
“Get back to your colleague and pass this message to her, we would not continue sitting wasting our precious time talking about 2012 performance when it has always been complaints of money not been released.
In an earlier, Senator Danjuma Goje, who is member of the petroleum down stream committee said “the finance minister should be asked where the money is or why is it that all ministries, departments and agencies are complaining of lack of money, is it that the oil is not selling?
“If the oil is being sold, let us know and we need a confirmation from you, if the oil is being sold, why and where is the money hanging, you, Diezani is a victim and it is terrible for the country”
Diezani in her presentation had told the committee that if funds were made available to them, the ministry would have achieved greater success.
She nonetheless scored the ministry over 90 percent performance against the background of funds released to them. She further said 70 percent went into project.