Senators, Reps lament increase personnel cost of Police Affairs Ministry, Commission, Agencies.

 

. As Reps urge FG to intervene on flood disaster in Ebonyi

Jonas Ezieke, Abuja

 

The Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on Police Affairs has expressed worries over the astronomical increase in the recurrent budget of the Ministry of Police Affairs and  its agencies as well as the Police Service Commission PSC in the 2022 budget.

 

Chairman of the joint Committee Sen. Harilu Dauda Jika, Co-Chairman Hon. Bello Kumo and other committee member had raised eyebrows during the Ministry of Police Affairs Budget defence session with the Committee on Tuesday.

 

The lawmakers who grilled the Minister of Police Affairs Muhammad Dingyadi said that the amount of money earmarked by the Ministry for personnel emoluments is worrisome and inexplicable.

 

Dingyadi while presenting the 2022 budget of the Ministry and its agencies had told the committee to approve N621, 378,630, 200.00 for the smooth running of the Police formations and agencies.

 

He had informed the joint Committee that the Ministry’s budget for Personnel emoluments is N710, 235,735,190.21, Overhead N34,645,329,781.54, Recurrent Expenditure N536, 132, 694,954.83 and Capital Expenditure N85,245,935,304.17.

 

 

However, the lawmakers while scrutinizing the budget estimates against the performance of the 2021 budget said the budget is merely an estimate and only a proposal until it is approved by the parliamentary committee.

 

Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs Hon.Bello Kumo said that the Ninth National Assembly had been so generous to the Police Ministry and its agencies as far as budget is concerned.

 

Meanwhile the lawmaker and other committee members had queried the utilization of the N1, 647,175,806 billion 2021 budget of the Police Service Commission saying that there is an increment of 50 percent in staff emoluments budget of the Commission.

 

But the Chairman of the Commission Mr Musliu Smith represented by a commissioner explained that the recruitment of 20,000 Police personnel being undertaken by the Commission is responsible for the increase in personnel budget of the PSC.

 

In another development ,The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to embark on immediate evacuation of inhabitants of Amagu, Item-Amagu, Echara, Enyimagu, Alike and other communities in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State due to recent devastating flood that swept over these communities.

 

This was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Hon.Chinedu N. Ogah representing Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State on the matter on the floor of the House.

 

Debating the motion, Ogah noted that the flood on the aforementioned communities was caused by persistent heavy rainfall that resulted into loss of lives, collapse houses, displaced residents and washed away lands.

 

The All Progressive Congress APC vibrant lawmaker further noted that the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency NIHSA in its annual flood outlook categorized the likely impact of this year’s flood as ranging from moderate to severe, but the general impact was severe as most of the communities were submerged.

 

He expressed worries that members of the affected communities now live in poorly organized settlements and poor sanitary conditions.

 

He said: “Also aware that if steps are not urgently taken to help the affected communities, which already do not even have standard medical facilities, there may be an outbreak of epidemic capable of killing a large number of the inhabitants”

 

The lawmaker therefore urged the House to ask for the intervention of the federal government to provide a temporary resettle and camp all displaced persons.

 

Consequently, the House presided by the Speaker Hon.Femi Gbajabiamila unanimously adopted the motion by a voice vote.

 

He urges the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development as National Emergency Management Agency NEMA to urgently mobilise relief materials to the affected areas.

 

The House further called on the federal government to as a matter of urgency provide an economic intervention programme to cushion the effects of the disaster even as the relevant House Committee is to ensure compliance to it