The Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) has revealed how the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) blew N367million of Internally Generated Revenue without appropriation by the National Assembly.
The revelation was made when the agency appeared for its 2018 budget defence with the Committee on Wednesday.
According to the Chairman, Sen. Omotayo Alasoadura (APC, Ondo) the act is tantamount to a constitutional breach.
While defending the agency, the Director General, Dim Lawrence noted that the law allows them to spend whatever has been generated.
Speaking on IGR, Alasoadura asked: “In preparing this, there is no key to show why 25% is remitted and you did not show the balance. What did you do with the balance because it is not captured in the budget?
“I know what the law says but in preparing your budget you should be explicit about why you remit only 25 percent of your IGR. Where is the balance of N367, 811, 850?
Lawrence responded: “What we did with the balance is that we improvised. The law provides that we spend this balance in our day to day operation. That is what is used for running the office.”
The chairman of the committee then asked: “Did we appropriate that money? We didn’t appropriate the money.”
No response was given by the DG.
Other members of the committee decried the act by the agency, stating that the non-representation of the expenses of the unappropriated revenue has hindered the progress of the budget defence.
Speaking on this is Sen. Andrew Uchendu (APC, Rivers) who said: “If the amount being referred to was not captured in your budget performance for 2017, then how do we proceed with the project defence for 2018. If that huge sum was not accounted, then we have not started budget defence.”
Uchendu queried: “Why did you not do that before coming today? Because you are coming to budget defence and that amount of money was generated and utilised and you didn’t think it was necessary to account for it?
“You wanted the Senate to raise the issue before you take action. Mr. Chairman, I have had so many experiences with them over the years. It is not acceptable at all.”