The Senate Tuesday through its committee on North Central Development Commission ( NCDC), described the N2.9billion monthly allocation being given to the commission as grossly inadequate when compared to N140billion budget size earmarked for the commission in 2026.
Speaking to journalists after interactive session between the committee and management of the commission , Senator Titus Zam in his capacity as Committee Chairman , said the N2.9billion monthly allocation being given to NCDC will at the end of the year not up to half of projected budgetary allocation for it .
He posited that the N2.9billion monthly allocation from the N140billion budgetary appropriation, is a temporary package which would be improved upon .
” If you give someone that has a budget of 140 billion, N2.9 billion per month, in 12 months, it won’t be up to half of the entire budgetary sum .
“I suppose that is just a temporary package. When the commission finally comes to fruition, much more funds will be released. So we thank Mr. President, we thank the executive for dropping something now but look forward for more “, he said .
He however added that the Senate Committee will see to judicious spending of the little allocation being collected by the commission now by guiding it on areas that should be focused on .
” North Central is mostly an agricultural land. We have arable land, we have good rainfall, we have vegetation, there’s policy for agriculture. We need the department of NCDC to take agriculture very seriously.
“We also have a challenge of insecurity. The commission is advised to support the security forces and state government to complement their efforts towards mitigating the tides of insecurity within the region.
“We also ask them to take rural development very seriously because we are also rural in nature”, he said .