In a fiery exchange during a Senate Committee on Trade session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole criticized Minister Doris Uzoka for proposing a staggering N1 billion budget for a foreign trip to Geneva, Switzerland, as part of the 2024 budget.
The Minister, defending her proposal, outlined N905 million for overhead costs and N8.1 billion for capital expenditure. Senator Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, called for cost-saving measures, advocating the use of in-country expertise and emphasizing the importance of homegrown products.
He questioned the need for such a substantial budget for foreign trips and challenged the lack of data on Nigeria's Balance of Trade. Minister Uzoka, responding to the objection, assured her ability to work from anywhere and revealed plans for a Trade Intelligence Unit to generate and store trade data.
However, Oshiomhole disagreed, stating that such data exists with the CBN, Customs, and other agencies.
The exchange highlights ongoing tensions over budget allocations and calls for fiscal responsibility within the government.
