2022 budget: NIWA threatens to exit from budget as Senate reschedules budget defence

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has threatened to opt-out from the National budget in 2023 as the National Assembly joint panel on Marine Transport, Ports, Harbours/ Inland Waterways defer budget defence over inconsistency in the agency’s budget report.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja when he appeared before the  National Assembly Joint Committee on Marine Transport, Ports, Harbours/ Inland Waterways while presenting the 2022 budget proposals, the  Managing Director of NIWA, Dr George Moghalu said that the agency is determined to become fully self-funding by 2023 upon the passage of NIWA Bill.
According to him, “the Authority is determined more than ever to become fully self-funding by 2023 predicated upon the passage of the NIWA bill, in so doing upscaling development of Inland Water Transportation in Nigeria.”

The Managing Director who told the lawmakers that the autonomy by the NIWA will not take the power of oversight from the lawmakers said that the aim of the autonomy is not to burden the national budget.

Senator Smart Adeyemi specifically told the NIWA Managing Director that the report is not presented in a way that could be easily understood.

Other  Lawmakers also complained that the report was not arranged properly.

At the end of the day, the Chairman, Senator Danjuma Goje who called for the postponement of the budget defence over the issues raised by members, said that in view of various inconsistencies in the budget, “you have to reappear before the Committee at another date which will be communicated to you”.