Reps Recommend Removal of NECO, UI, Police from 2025 Budget

The House of Representatives has proposed the removal of the National Examinations Council (NECO), the University of Ibadan (UI), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment from the 2025 budget. This recommendation also affects 21 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) accused of failing to account for previous budget allocations and internally generated revenue. The decision was made during an extraordinary session of the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee in Abuja, chaired by Bamidele Salam. The recommendation follows the MDAs’ repeated non-compliance with committee summons to review their financial operations. Despite multiple invitations, these agencies failed to attend hearings or provide requested documentation. Other affected MDAs include hospitals, universities, and federal polytechnics such as the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, and the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe. Salam emphasized that the National Assembly is empowered by the Financial Regulation to exclude any MDA that does not account for previous appropriations. The committee unanimously recommended excluding these 24 MDAs from the 2025 budget until they provide the necessary clarifications.