The declaration by the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi-Ata, that he had no information to defend the 2025 estimates of the ministry, halted his budget defence session at the Senate on Wednesday.

The exercise for the ministry was thereafter postponed to next Tuesday.

The Housing Ministry is building 7,522 housing units under the National Housing Programme. A total of 3,388 out of the figure had been completed, according to a presentation by Abdullahi-Ata.

Abdullahi-Ata, who represented the main minister, Ahmed Dangiwa, at the beginning of the presentation, explained that he came before the Senate Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development for the defence because Dangiwa was out of the country on a trip with President Bola Tinubu.

Members of the committee, chaired by former Governor of Sokoto State, Sen. Aminu Tambuwal, were interested in knowing the implementation status of Tinubu’sRenewed Hope Agenda Housing Scheme.

They also wanted to know how it was different from the ongoing National Housing Programme of the federal government.

When asked to speak on the difference between the two, Abdullahi-Ata replied, “I am still yet to understand the difference between the two.”

Abdullahi-Ata, a former speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, joined Tinubu’s cabinet last October following a cabinet reshuffle. He also said even the permanent secretary in the ministry was new on the saddle and might not offer the relevant information sought by senators.

The minister appealed for a postponement of the budget defence to allow for more time to prepare adequately or to wait for the return of Dangiwa from his foreign trip. He said, “I wish this budget defence would have been postponed.”

Tambuwal, reviewing the situation, consulted with other senators, who immediately concluded that the session should be discontinued.

He said: “We are doing a lot of consultations here. The signal we are getting is that you should go and be better prepared. Go and come back on Tuesday.”

Speaking earlier, Sen. Abdul Ningi (PDP Bauchi-Central), commended Tinubu for initiating the renewed hope agenda housing scheme, which he said could bridge the housing deficit in the country.

He, however, criticised the execution of the scheme, saying that it appeared to exist only on paper.

“The houses you claimed to have completed are music to our ears. Where are these houses located? I am not sure you are doing justice to these housing projects, as laudable as the idea is. We need the details, give us the full report on the implementation of this scheme,” Ningi said.

However, a member of the committee, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo-South) interjected and accused Ningi of making a hasty conclusion when the scheme was just underway.

For instance, Ibrahim told the session that with the extension of the 2024 budget to June 2025, more of the houses would most likely be delivered this year.

Ibrahim said: “It is not correct to say that nothing is being done. This government has up to June to execute more projects.”

Ibrahim’s action infuriated Ningi, who also responded by telling Ibrahim to stop being the megaphone of the ministry or the government.

Ningi said: “This is the Senate, and we are here for budget defence. The minister and the ministry officials are here. I don’t think that it is proper for senators to be speaking for the minister, who is here.”

The arguments of the two senators lasted for about two minutes and almost disrupted the proceedings before Tambuwal was forced to caution them.

In his contribution, a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, corroborated Ningi’s position. He said that many Nigerians could not attest to having benefited from a government housing scheme.

Dickson said: “I am from Bayelsa State. There is no evidence of the Renewed Hope Agenda housing projects there. Or, is it that I am the one who doesn’t know where the houses are?

“The minister should furnish us with the details of the two housing schemes for us to know fully what exactly is happening.”

Sunday Aborisade

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