Lagos Assembly lauds budget ministry for employing young staff

… frowns at disregard to House summons

The Lagos State House of Assembly has lauded the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget for the employment of young staff into its labour force.

The House gave the commendation through the Chairman, House Committee on Economic Planning and Budget, Hon. Lukman Olumoh during the oversight to the Ministry recently.

Olumoh stated that the visit was to avail the Committee insight into the workings and activities of the Ministry, attributing the Ministry’s performance to the employment of the young staff.

“For me, the young people that I see here are enough to make me celebrate because engaging young people to work in your Ministry has explained the excellence we have been able to see in your performance.”

” There is a need for the Committee to familiarize itself with the workings of the Ministry as there are some lacuna in some ministries, and agencies’ budget which needs to be resolved to enhance the budget performance of the State.s

He suggested a Permanent Secretary to handle the affairs of the Bureau of Statistics, adding “On the issue of monitoring and evaluation, we are not happy, my colleagues did not say much about it but we need to say it as it is, we need to do more on the way our projects are being under evaluated, if you are not having enough manpower to be able to do more, employ more hands, so that Lagos can have value for money, .”

He frowned at incessant disregard to House summons by Special Advisers whose budgets were domiciled in the Ministry, warning that it will not be acceptable anymore.

In his remarks, the Chairman House Committee on Finance, Hon. Saheed Obafemi (Kosofe 2) advised the Commissioner to use the Monitoring and Evaluation department so that the economic planning projection purpose will not be defeated in different sectors.

Earlier, the Commissioner, Mr. Mosopefolu George and the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Olayinka Ojo in the company of Directors of the Ministry, attested that the oversight was a necessity, noting that the Ministry prioritized international training of young officers over the seniors.