Nigeria Postal Service ( NIPOST) , got zero allocation from N137.2billion capital votes earmarked for the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy as well as the three Parastatals under it .
While in the proposed N160.593billion budget for the Ministry , NIGCOMSAT, NIPOST and National Identity Management Commission ( NIMC) , the Ministry got N85.231billion for capital votes , NIMC N46.533billion and NIGCOMSAT N5.440billion , NIPOST has zero allocation.
This was made known by the joint committee of the National Assembly on Communication during budget defence session with the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy , Dr Isa Ali Pantami and heads of agencies under the Ministry at the National Assembly on Thursday .
The Committee Chaired by Senator Oluremi Tinubu expressed dissatisfaction with the development sating it was wrong for the agency not to be given any capital vote for 2022 fiscal year .
Senator Tinubu specifically asked the Minister whether the zero capital budget allocation proposed for NIPOST in 2022 was based on non – request by the agency or lack of fund .
The Commitee she added , may have to appropriate something for the agency if there is no solid reason for the zero allocation .
The Minister in his response said , he was not against some votes taken from the capital estimates of the Ministry for NIPOST .
” I’m not against the Committee taking about N200million from N85.231billion capital vote of the Ministry to NIPOST” , he said.
He added that unbundling of NIPOST will be carried out in 2022 by setting up three different agencies out of it , particularly Property and Development Company that will manage the 2,500 properties of the agency scattered across the country .
Out of the total budget profile of N160.593billion proposed for the Ministry and the three agencies under it , the Minister said the Ministry has a total of N86.488billion , NIGCOMSAT N8.226billion , NIPOST N13.116billion and NIMC N52.761billion .
When asked about increase observed in the personnel cost of the Ministry which rose from N981m appropriated in 2020 to N1.032billion proposed for 2022 fiscal year , the Minister said the increase arose from salaries of newly recruited staff posted to the Ministry by the Federal Civil Service Commission.
