Interior Ministry Records 95.6% 2020 Budget Performance

By Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Federal Ministry of Interior has revealed that it has so far recorded about 95.69 per cent budget performance for 2020, and has urged the National Assembly to help boost its allocations in order to continue to discharge its mandate creditably.

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, disclosed this on Tuesday when he received members of the House of Representatives Committee on Interior who were on oversight visit to the ministry.

The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Shaibu Belgore, also lamented how low budget constraints was making coordination of paramilitary agencies under it difficult, pleading for an enhanced economic fortune.

He said: “This is a very big ministry with a very small headquarters. We are working very hard with the resources at our disposal to ensure that we are able to fulfill those mandates that have been given to us. Recent events in Nigeria have heightened the need for improved funding of internal security.

“For some years now, the ministry has had to work to deliver and coordinate the activities of her agencies with a really very low budget line. The result of that is that the coordination has not been as effective as it should be. However, there have been recent improvements and we will look forward to working with you and with your cooperation and guidance, to be able to have more resources to execute our mandate.

“For the year ended 2019, we had a capital appropriation of N721 million only for which performance was 100 per cent. The overhead was N350.8 million and the expenditure performance for that was also 100 per cent. On personnel, we had N2.96 billion for which performance was 99.7 per cent.

“Overall, the Ministry of Interior (headquarters) had a 99.75 per cent budget performance for the year ended 2019.

“For 2020, capital appropriation for the headquarters of the ministry up till 30th September 2020, was N2.61 billion and expenditure performance so far has been 94.26 per cent. Also, N607.8 million was for overhead, with an expenditure performance of 90.14 per cent. For personnel, we had N915.3 million and we have 99.94 per cent performance on that.

“So far, for 2020, we have achieved 95.69 per cent performance.”

He explained the inability of the ministry to conclude recruitment into the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), as well as the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), saying the COVID-19 pandemic prevented such an exercise.

Belgore however said the ministry has concluded plans with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board JAMB (JAMB) to conduct a computer-based test for candidates who have been shortlisted.

Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Hon. Nasiru Sani Zango-Daura, who was represented by his deputy, Hon. Emmanuel Ukpon-Udo Effiong, said the oversight visit was necessary as the nation prepares for the 2021 budget.

He said: “In preparation for the 2021 budget exercise, the House Committee on Interior resolved to embark on an oversight tour of all the ministries and agencies under its legislative and oversight jurisdiction to ascertain the level of implementation of their 2019 and 2020 appropriation.

“Following the receipt of your 2019 and 2020 budget performance reports, we communicated our intention for an oversight visit in order to have an on-the-spot assessment of the said implementations.

“The House Committee on Interior is here on a fact-finding and not a fault-finding mission.”