Published Olukayode Idowu
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola , has expressed the Ministry’s determination and willingness to improve on the Internally generated Revenue in the Ministry with a view to making up for the effect experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020.
Aregbesola stated this during the 2021 Budget Performance and 2022 Budget Defence with the House of Representative Committee on Interior at the National Assembly Complex Building, Abuja.
The Minister who spoke after the presentation done by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Shuaib Belgore, who is the Accounting Officer of the Ministry, and with the Chairman of the Committee, Hon.Nasiru Sanu Zangon Daura and members of his Committee’s empathy requested that the Ministry may wish to present for assistance areas where they would require help. The Minister, thereafter brought forward some needs among which are :
That the Ministry needs increased provision for Monitoring and Evaluation, sighting that the envelope system is not adequate, and to ensure effective and adequate supervision of all the Services under it’s control nation wide, the Ministry is appealing for increased funding to be able to organize an all inclusive stakeholder’s engagement across the country on issue of internal security especially with the recent jailbreak attack incidences in Imo, Imo State, Kabba , Kogi State, and only recently in Abolongo in Oyo State.
Aregbesola, also said that “the Ministry under his watch is confronting the challenge of lack of regular Stakeholders engagement across the country, but all of these requires huge funding that the Committee will graciously look into for improvement the Minister submitted.
Speaking further, the Minister said there is much need for an increased Consultancy funds from the current envelope, this is to ensure that the proposed Institute of Security is properly funded to achieve it’s aim of training all security officers on the basic requirements that will ensure our collective peace and tranquility in Nigeria that will in the end grow a strong Economy.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore presented both the appropriations of 2021 and 2022 Budget to the House Committee on Interior Chaired by Hon. Sani Zango Daura .
Belgore, said that the Ministry of Interior, is saddled with the responsibility of safety, internal security and Citizenship Integrity of our nation plays a vital role in ensuring that Citizens are well protected . Dr. Belgore also said that the “Ministry currently has Nine Marriage Registries across the country, but that comparatively this is not enough to adequately accommodate all the large crowds that needs to use the facilities, nevertheless, the Ministry already has a Presidential approval to open additional 26 Registries before year 2022 ends” Belgore added.
The Permanent Secretary while responding to some issues raised by Committee members on the issue of Insurance, revealed that” some buildings at Ikoyi Marriage Registry were dilapidated and provision for more funds is urgently required for the renovation of the structure to enhance efficient operations”.
Earlier, the House Committee Chairman, Hon. Sani Zango Daura expressed his appreciation to the Minister of Interior and his team for honouring the invitation to the Budget Performance and Defence meeting, while also assuring that the Committee shall be willing to assist the Ministry in getting appropriate funding that will help the Ministry achieve it’s target and Mandates.
In attendance were The Hon. Chairman of the House of Representative Committee on Interior and Members of the Committee of the House of Representative Committee on Interior and all Directors from the Ministry of Interior.