Nigeria’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Doris Nkiruka-Anite Uzoka, recently came under fire while defending her ministry’s 2024 Budget before the Senate Committee on Trade, when it was detected that a whopping sum of N1 billion was allocated for a trip to Geneva.
The Senators frowned at the budgetary provisions in a document from the ministry, described the estimate as humongous and a waste of public funds and asked her to suspend the Geneva trip when she could not justify why she was embarking on the trip as she said her ministry had no record of balance of trade with other nations.
While reacting, former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole who happened to be a member of the Committee that drilled the Minister, was frank in his criticism.
He said: “I see that you intend to travel to Geneva next year and you have budgeted over one billion Naira for that. We can’t keep going on with over-bloated teams on abroad trips. Use the experts we have in your offices in the country to save cost.”
Oshiomhole further accused the Minister of always leaving her desk on permanent visits to the Bank of Industry.
He said: “Madam, sit in your office and work for Nigerians. I have gone there twice. You are always in the BOI. If you preferred BOI, you should have declined the President’s nomination to be Minister.
“What is our balance of trade? Especially with China. Those countries importing things to Nigeria are expected to build factories in Nigeria. We have to take advantage of our population to grow our industries.”
Uzoka responded by saying her ministry had no record of balance of trade with other nations.
She said: “Sir, I regret to say that we seem to have no record of our balance of trade. Or at least, it doesn’t exist in the Ministry and that is why we initiated a new unit called Trade Intelligence Unit to ensure that such data are generated and stored.
“Ministry is currently implementing strategic policies, plans and programmes targeted towards economic recovery and growth for employment generation and wealth creation for the generality of Nigerians”.
Oshiomole disagreed with her and said: “No, Madam, I don’t agree that there is no data. Such data exists with the CBN, Customs and other agencies.”
Oshiomhole noted 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.
