2019 budget hits setback as Udoma, Ahmad, others shun Reps hearing

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The 2019 budget has encountered a major setback as heads of federal government’s ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) shunned an invitation by the Joint House Committee on Appropriation, Finance, Aids, Debts and Management, among others.

The affected heads of MDAs included Minister of National Planning, Udo Udoma; Minister of Finance, Aisha Ahmad; Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Maikanti Barau, among others.

The Joint Committee was billed to consider the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), and the 2018 budget performance defence by the MDAs, which were parameters for the passage of the 2019 Appropriation Bill.

Briefing newsmen after adjournment, Chairman of the Joint Committee and Chairman, House Committee of Finance, Babangida Ibrahim, said the implication was that the passage of the 2019 budget would be delayed.