Budget defence: Reps in rowdy session over Humanitarian Affairs Minister

The House Committee on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Humanitarian Matters, on Tuesday, experienced a rowdy session over a statement credited to Fatahu Muhammed (APC-Katsina).
Muhammed had accused a member of the committee, Abiante Awaji-Inombek (PDP-Rivers) of attacking a minister with his questions.
Awaji-Inombek had during budget defence by Hajia Sadiya Farouk, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in Abuja said the document she presented before the committee was not comprehensive.
He, however, moved a motion that the minister be asked to go and represent the budget to ensure it was comprehensive enough before presenting it to the committee.
He also told the minister to explain why out of over 700 employed youths in the ministry, only two were from Rivers.
He had also alleged that such recruitment was skewed, while pleading with the minister to ensure that such gap was closed to accommodate people from Rivers.
The Chairman of the Committee, Mohammed Jega, in his reaction said such move was an attempt to derail the committee from doing its job, adding however that his statement should not be taken as protecting the minister.
Also reacting, Mohammed Seide a member of the committee said such statement credited to Awaji-Inombek was with the intention to harass the minister, advising members to guard their utterances.
However, members of the committee agreed that the utterances of some members could not amount to harassment as was being interpreted by some.
The minister while responding said that the ministry did not employ anyone, adding that staff members were posted from other ministries by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
She said that the only body saddled with the responsibility of recruitment was the Federal Civil Service Commission.
According to her, the ministry had also distributed palliative to all the state except Rivers which according to her, Governor Nyesom Wike had refused to collect.
The minister said that over 70,000 tons of grain were released by the Federal Government for onward delivery to the poor and vulnerable as palliative.
She also said that contrary to insinuation, the ministry had not distributed cash in the name of palliative, adding that no cash was received from any organisation within or outside the country.
The minister said she had operated within the money appropriated for the ministry, adding that some relief materials in term of food were given to the ministry by some organisations.