Fred Itua, Abuja
The Senate has given Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to defend President Muhammadu Buhari’s $29.9 billion loan request presently before the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts.
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, gave the order yesterday, following a point of order raised on the floor by Clifford Ordia, chairman, Senate committee on local and foreign debts.
Ordia bemoaned the failure of MDAs to appear before the committee to defend proposed allocations of monies for projects under their supervision as captured in the President’s loan request.
He named the federal ministries of education, power, agriculture, health, water resources, communications and digital economy, humanitarian affairs, and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), as some of the MDAs yet to defend their loan proposals.
Lawan urged the MDAs to appear before the Committee on Local and Foreign Debts mad furnish members with necessary information required by the senate to facilitate President Buhari’s loan request before the National Assembly.
Ordia, however, pleaded for an extension of the window period to two weeks, a request which was approved by the Senate president.