Trade Minister under fire over N1bn budget for trip to Geneva

Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Doris Nkiruka-Anite Uzoka, on Tuesday, came under fire during her defence of the ministry’s 2024 Budget before the Senate Committee on Trade, when it was discovered that a whopping sum of N1 billion was allocated for a trip to Geneva.

The Senators who frowned at the budgetary provisions in a document from the ministry, dismissed the estimate as humongous and a waste of public funds.

They told her to shelve the Geneva trip when she could not give a convincing reason for the trip as she said that her ministry had no record of balance of trade with other nations.

On questioning her about our balance of trade, especially with China, Uzoka said her ministry had no record of balance of trade with other nations.

“No, Madam, I don’t agree that there is no data. Such data exists with the CBN, Customs and other agencies,” Oshiomhole insisted, noting that there was data at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other agencies, which the Ministry has failed to access.

 

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