Senate Committee on Appropriation has expressed strong support for the allocation of N5 billion in the capital budget of the Ministry of Tourism for the revamping of Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River state.
This was disclosed when the Chairman Senate Committee on Tourism, Senator Ireti Kingibe presented the report of her committee as the main Appropriation Committee began to receive reports from its subcommittees on Monday.
Initially when Kingibe mentioned the capital allocation, some senators expressed concerns that such huge sum will be allocated to a single project in a peo-political zone at the detriment of other zones.
However, Senator Patrick Ndubueze said allocating the N5 billion to make Obudu Cattle Ranch come alive will enhance tourism and will be of economic benefits for the country as it will generate revenue for the country.
The Chairman of the Committee, Solomon Olamilekan said if you want to drive tourism and make profitable, “we should do more”, adding that “with the amount given to industry, we are not yet there”.
The total budget of the ministry is N11 billion with N5 billion of it as grant from partners.
In another development, the Senate Committee on Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) and Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) has made strong case for proper funding of NIDCOM.
Chairman of the Committee, Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) pleaded with the Appropriation Committee to increase the capital budget from N652 million to N4.9 billion for five new line items, which need to be funded so that NIDCOM/NGO should have enough funds to support its programmes.
Umeh said NIDCOM has a lot to do for Nigerians living in foreign countries need attention when they in one trouble or another and that requires money.
He gave example of 136 Nigerians in Ethiopian prisons who live in sub human condition, adding that it requires a lot of money to visit them and fight their cause.
Therefore, Senate called for an independent budgetary provisions for Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), via separating its budget from the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Senator Victor Umeh made the call on Monday in Abuja, while presenting budget defence report of the committee before Appropriation Committee.
“The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) should have an independent budget from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since it is a commission established by act of the National Assembly.
“There are other agencies who do not do much as NIDCOM, but have independent budgetary provisions”.
He said Nigerians in Diasporial were contributing to the nation’s development maximally, adding that 24billion dollars was remitted to Nigeria in 2022 by the diasporians.
He said despite the huge remittance the allocation to the commission has remained too paltry to take care of the needs of the commission in the discharge of its mandate.
Umeh said that Nigerians, who generate money from diasporial has various needs and challenges that requires NIDCOM attention and supervision, saying that the commission was not adequately funded to discharge the duties.
According to him, there is need to provide funds also to organise Diasporia Investment Summit in Canada, America, United Kingdom,in America, and other parts of the world to bring Nigerians together to partner Federal and state governments for investments.
This, he said could also help drive the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“This one is critical, Diasporial Investment Summit, that one has economic value, you can not quantify the amount of money they remit to Nigeria,24 billion dollars in 2022 alone.”
By Haruna Salami
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