The Senate has outrightly dismissed a budget proposal from the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Investment for an extravagant foreign trip .
Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, President Bola Tinubu’s Minister overseeing the ministry, had tabled a budget request exceeding a billion naira for a planned trip to Geneva in the 2024 allocation before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Trade, Industry, and Investment.
Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North and chairing the Senate Committee on Interior, sharply opposed the exorbitant request, citing concerns about spending such a colossal amount on a trip amidst prevailing economic hardship.
While specifics regarding the proposed amount were not disclosed to the press during the defense session, Oshiomhole emphasized the imprudence of allocating such massive funds for foreign travels in light of Nigeria’s socioeconomic challenges.
He urged the Minister to harness local expertise and resources within the country rather than incurring hefty expenses on overseas trips.
“I see that you intend to travel to Geneva next year and you have budgeted over one billion for that. We can’t keep going on with over-bloated teams on abroad trips. Use the experts we have in your offices in the country to save costs.
“Let us practice what we preach. We cannot talk about industrialisation and keep importing toothpicks and tyres. We must ensure that we have homegrown products,” he said.
The former Edo Governor advocated for promoting domestic industries, emphasizing the need to actualize Nigeria’s industrial potential.
Oshiomhole further advised the Minister to focus on trade and investment sectors, leveraging foreign investments to bolster Nigeria’s economy.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the Minister’s perceived absence from her office, he urged her to prioritize her ministerial duties for the nation’s benefit.
“Madam, sit in your office and work for Nigerians. I have gone there twice. You are always in the BOI. If you preferred the BOI, you should have declined the president’s nomination to be a minister,” the senator said.
In response, Mrs. Nkiruka-Anite highlighted challenges due to office renovations, asserting her capability to deliver results regardless of her workplace setting.
She also acknowledged the absence of adequate trade balance records within the ministry and outlined efforts to establish a new unit, the Trade Intelligence Unit, aimed at generating and preserving crucial trade-related data.
