The Management team of the Border Communities Development Agency ( BCDA) , came under fire in Senate Wednesday , over its refusal to state locations for the N3.626billion capital projects the agency proposed for the 2020 fiscal year.
Consequently , the Upper Legislative Chamber Committee on States and Local Governments , ordered the agency to furnish it within 24 hours , locations for the various projects , it listed to be executed by the proposed N3.626billion capital component of its 2020 budget.
The agency led by its Executive Secretary , Captain Junaid Abdullahi , had in a budget defence session with the committee , gave an overview of the projections and performance implementations of the 2018 and 2019 budgetary votes appropriated for it.
But trouble came his way while making similar presentation on 2020 budgetary proposals for the agency , specifically the N3.626billion capital component of it when the Senators observed that locations for the various projects proposed , were not indicated in the written submissions made.
First to take up Capt Junaid Abdullahi over the suspicious omissions, was the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Francis Ezenwa (PDP Imo East), who said listing projects without locations is unacceptable in budget consideration let alone approval.
“Mr Chairman, from the paper before us , indicating that locations are not indicated for many of the capital projects proposed here , there is no way this can be acceptable. I will suggest they make a representation with required detailed information,” he said.
Speaking in the same vein, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Lekan Mustapha (APC Ogun East), said the agency must include locations of its proposed projects to be executed by the N3.626bn capital votes.
“You will have to do this within 24 hours , that is, between today and tomorrow if you want the capital component of your 2020 budget to be captured.
“There is no alternative for the agency on this unacceptable commissions than to supply the required information latest within the stated period because , in line with time table already set by both chambers of the National Assembly , every committee is expected to submit report on budgetary proposals of agencies under it to the Appropriation Committee latest by Tuesday , 29th October , 2019,” he said.
Turning the heat the more on the embattled BCDS boss, another member of the Committee , Senator Hassan Mohammed Gusau ( PDP Zamfara Central) , said the required information must be supplied by him as declared by the Committee Chairman.
“The matter on ground , requires you and other top management officials , to tell your spouses not to disturb you at this critical time , or else , the agency’s capital budget, will suffer for it,” he said.
Apparently rattled by the submissions of the committee Chairman and members, the BCDA boss , promised to comply with the directive within the stated period.
He however explained to the committee members that the omissions were not intentional but typographical.
Some the capital projects listed by the agency to be executed with N3.626 billion capital component of its 2020 budget without locations are , supply of Equipment /Furnishing of Skills Acquisition Training Centre N17 million , Provision of 1NO . 5M3/H Water Treatment Plants N17 million , Procurement of 5MVA , 66KV, 300KVA, 33KV and 500KVA, 33/415 Transformers N43 million.
Others are, Construction of a block of Six Classrooms with Headmaster / Staff Offices , Toilet Water Borehole and Overhead Tank N42 million, Construction of 2 Solar Powered Boreholes /Provision for Micro Cluster Farming for Cultivation of Fish, Vegetables and Fruits and Provision of 4 Hecters Tree Shelter Belt N 50million etc.
Legislative Cha Committee on States and Local Governments , put the management team of the Border Communities Development Agency ( BCDA) , under fire Wednesday , for refusing to indicate locations of proposed projects to be executed with the N3.626billion capital votes proposed for the agency in 2020 fiscal year.
