From Fred Itua, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded the 2016 budget proposals of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and 36 other Agencies to the National Assembly for consideration.
President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who presided at plenary, announced that President Buhari had asked that the budget for the 38 agnecies be given accelerated approval to allow them expend funds for various projects in line with their statutory laws and mandate.
The announcement of the budget proposals for the 38 agencies coincided with Senate scheduled open debate on the alleged consistent refusal of the CBN to comply with the constitutional provision which stipulates that it must submit annual reports on its financial dealings to the National Assembly.
The upper legiuslative chamber approved a request brought by Dino Melaye under Senate rule 42 to the effect that the Senate needed to investigate the financial dealings of the apex bank to expose what it had been keeping away from the National Assembly in breach of the constitution.
According to Buhari’s letter, the agencies include, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), National Agencies for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASEI), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), National Maritime Authority (NMA), Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Nigerian Postal Service (NPS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), National Communications Commission (NCC) National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Others are, National Insurance Commission (NIC), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Nigerian Copywrights Commission (NCC), Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA),Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Radio Nigeria, Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), National Business and others.