The House of Representatives Committee on Science, Engineering and Technology has resolved to expunge the 2026 budget of the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) from the 2026 Appropriation Bill following what it described as the agency’s disregard for legislative oversight.
The decision was taken after the committee stepped down consideration of NACETEM’s budget due to the failure of the agency’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Olushola Odusanya, to appear before lawmakers for budget defence.
Chairman of the committee, Inuwa Garba, expressed strong displeasure over the absence of the NACETEM boss, stressing that no public officer was above the authority of the National Assembly. He noted that the legislature would not condone actions that undermine its constitutional role.
Garba said if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could personally honour an invitation to the National Assembly to present the national budget, it was unacceptable for any appointee to treat a committee invitation with levity.
A visibly angry chairman warned that the committee would not tolerate any act perceived as disrespect to the Constitution, the legislature or democratic governance, regardless of the justification offered.
He added that legislative oversight was a critical component of accountability and transparency in governance, and agencies that failed to cooperate with the National Assembly would face appropriate sanctions.
Members of the committee supported the decision, insisting that compliance with parliamentary invitations was mandatory and not optional. They maintained that the expungement of NACETEM’s budget from the Appropriation Bill would remain until the agency’s leadership demonstrated respect for due process and appeared before the committee to account for its activities and financial proposals.
