The Senate, on Tuesday, berated the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Doris Nkiruka-Anite Uzoka, over allocation of a N1 billion in 2024 budget proposal for a trip to Geneva, Switzerland.
Uzoka had during her defence of the 2024 Budget before the Senate Committee on Trade, on Tuesday, disclosed the budgetary provisions in a document.
Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo-North, Adams Oshiomhole, however dismissed the estimate as humongous and a waste of public funds.
Oshiomhole tasked her to shelve the Geneva trip and make use of experts in her Ministry, saying: “I see that you intend to travel to Geneva next year and you have budgeted over one billion Naira for that. We can’t keep going on with over-bloated teams on abroad trips. Use the experts we have in your offices in that country to save cost”.
Oshiomhole also accused the Minister of always abandoning her desk and on permanent visits to the Bank of Industry. He said: “Madam, sit in your office and work for Nigerians. I have gone there twice. You are always in the BOI. If you preferred BOI, you should have declined the President’s nomination to be Minister.
The former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also picked holes in Nigeria’s balance of trade with other countries, querying: “What is our balance of trade? Especially with China. Those countries importing things to Nigeria are expected to build factories in Nigeria. We have to take advantage of our population to grow our industries”.
She could, however, not give a convincing narrative, as she said that her Ministry has no record of balance of trade with other nations.
Oshiomhole, however, insisted that there was data at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other agencies, which the Ministry has failed to access.
Earlier in her presentation, the Minister told the lawmakers that her Ministry “remains committed to achieving its vision of promoting economic growth, creating jobs and generating wealth as well as formulating and implementing policies and programmes that attract foreign direct investments, boost industrialisation, increase trade and exports as well as encourage the development of enterprises.
