The House of Representatives committee has stepped down the science agency’s 2026 budget, want the DG removed over snub
The House of Representatives Committee on Science and Engineering on Thursday stepped down the consideration of the 2026 budget proposal of the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM).
The committee also resolved to expunge the agency’s budget from the national appropriation bill and recommend the removal of its Director-General, Dr. Olushola Odusanya, over his failure to appear before the panel to defend the proposal and submit required documents for legislative scrutiny.
The decision was reached on Thursday during the 2026 budget defence session held at the National Assembly complex.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Inuwa Garba (PDP, Gombe), said no government appointee should consider themselves above legislative oversight, noting that President Bola Tinubu personally appeared before the National Assembly to present the national budget.
Garba stressed that the committee would not condone any action viewed as disrespectful to the constitution, the legislature, or democratic governance, adding that the decision would serve as a deterrent to other appointees who might contemplate similar conduct.
In a related development, the committee expressed dissatisfaction with the 2025 budget performance and the 2026 budget proposal of the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFOST).
Lawmakers particularly frowned at the agency’s low Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), which stood at about N385,000 in 2024 and N285,860 in 2025.
The committee also queried the sharp increase in the agency’s overhead costs, which rose from N95.40 million in 2025 to N195.73 million in the 2026 proposal.
Responding, the Registrar of NiCFOST, Mrs. Veronica Nkechi-Eze, explained that the council’s only sources of revenue are registration fees and annual professional dues.
She said the council charges N5,000 for registration and N2,000 as professional dues from its approximately 10,000 members.
However, the registrar admitted she had no explanation for the significant rise in the overhead component, noting that the increase was not part of the proposals originally submitted to the Budget Office.
In his ruling, the committee chairman said the matter required further scrutiny, adding that the panel would engage the agency further before taking a final decision.
