The House of Representatives Committee on Internally displaced Persons has rejected the 45 billion naira budget estimate of the Presidential Committee on North-East Initiative (PCNI) for 2017.
The legislators said this at a budget defence meeting with PCNI, which put the number of people in dire need of humanitarian aid at 14 million.
The Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative is the apex Federal Government body charged with the responsibility of providing leadership and coordination of all interventions and recovery efforts in the North-East region.
Its mandate is to coordinate the rehabilitation, settlement and humanitarian assistance towards displaced persons.
It is proposing a forty five billion naira budget for the year out of which more than ten billion naira is for the military and acquisition of equipment.
But the House committee on IDPs is not comfortable with the proposed expenditure especially funds proposed for economic development amounting to 6. 58 billion naira.
The legislators cautioned against duplicating funds meant for the military and request for PCNI’s itemised mandate as well as a breakdown of all proposed expenditure.
After all deliberations, the Committee insists the budget must be re-worked.
PCNI is to submit a harmonised copy of the budget at a date to be agreed by both parties.
